Education portal launched
2005-01-24 15:15
George - Education Minister Naledi Pandor on Monday officially launched her department's internet portal while visiting schools in George.
Describing it as the starting point for teachers and pupils seeking information to use in their class rooms and projects, Pandor said the portal had been developed to support the school curriculum in the general and further education phases.
The portal provides "effective and engaging software", electronic content and online learning resources.
The internet-based information portal, baptised "Thutong" - seTswane for place of learning - is a not-for-profit project designed to provide "extensive resources" to its registered users, with particular priority given to the needs of those from disadvantaged schools and rural areas.
"The portal thus provides access to a vast and ever-increasing range of quality curriculum and learner support materials, as well as to professional development programmes for teachers, administration and management resources and tools for schools, education policy documents, and general news and information related to the latest developments in education," Pandor said in her written address.
She said thousands of printable, quality-assured teaching and learning resource materials, which were cross-referenced to the South African curriculum, were available through the portal.
All the material supported the outcomes-based curriculum statements, she said.
The education department said that all schools would have access to the internet within the near future.
"I believe that our learners and teachers will draw immense benefit from the portal in their teaching and learning activities," she said.
The site can be found atwww.thutong.org.za
- SAPA