The school ,as many other schools faces several barriers that may prevent it from integrating ICT successfully.
ICT integration is using technology to learn, communicate, teach, and various other things. It is found in the new information world where technology is used for almost everything even for agriculture.
There are different barriers that prevent the successful implementation of ICT in schools. These barriers are caused by different factors.
The main factor is : the lack of qualified teachers
- There are fewer educators who have appropriate qualifications to teach computer applications technology(CAT)
- When CAT was introduced in schools through the OBE curriculum. Teachers who had little or basic knowledge about computers or had keyboard skills ( typist or receptionists) were tasked to teach CAT and no further training was provided to them.
This now creates a barrier to the learners as they are not properly taught properly in schools. All that they should be taught thus far are irrelevant and thus they graduate high school computer illiterate. Some universities do not recognise CAT as an entry level subject, therefore high school students are discouraged to do CAT as a subject from grade 10 to 12 and this is also a reason as to why many learners are not computer literate. This means that having computers and technologies in schools are a not a benefit to anyone.
ICoolTeachingSchool 
Also, some barriers that the government and schools should focus on are the previously disadvantaged schools. They also have some impacts on ICT barriers.
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They surely should focus on the disadvantage schools, to prepare them for the outside world so that they can achieve there dreams. Also so that they can prosper and overcome there difficult situations they are living in.
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I think CAT should be the 8th subject in matric and be complusory, so tha all leaners can get the basic skills of computer. Most of leaners do not want to take CAT they believe that it does not count in University entry points
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It should be an 8th subject from grade 8 to 12. Teaching the learners all the basic skills they need, in order for them to have at least ONE requirement for a job when applying, this will help them as technology is improving all the time and companies are looking for workers that are techno savy.
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I strongly feel that it is of utmost importance to teach learners the necessary technological skills to not only enhance their learning process but also make their work load much easier to handle. Teachers should be thought the basic skills to use technology during lessons not only will It be to the teachers advantage but learners are also much more interested when things are done differently in classrooms then just sitting and writing from the blackboard.
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Teachers should firstly get the proper training required to teach this given subject as this subject is important in the working field. Once teachers have the training required they will inspire the learners and all learners would be techno savy as this will broaden there mindsets.
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Pertinent questioning needs to completed by the Government regarding the implementation of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Yes, as a nation we are excited for the development, however, one needs to consider if the education curriculum is flexible to adapt to a different technological age?
At the current moment, South Africa’s innovation on school level is pathetic. Innovation is isolated in model C schools across the country.
Will the learner from a mud school in the Eastern Cape benefit from the 4th industrial revolution?
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once schools are equiped with the equipment then model C schools and a mud school in the Eastern Cape will definitely benefit from the 4th industrial revolution.
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I agree with lulama,cat should be compulsory,as students are lacking computer skills,and you have an advantage,when you are computer literate.
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it surely is an advantage as learners could be well equiped, and directed in the right direction in having the right requirements for the working field.
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I agree yes, our society is moving towards a digital age and everything is becoming technology driven. So we need to equipt our kids.
It is a great deficit seeing as our schools and university are not seeing the urgence of computer training even though everything is being done via technology.
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if the department of education can see into this, i think the integrating of the 4th industrial revolution would be a success in schools.
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The department of education should ensure that all teachers who qualify as CAT educators should undergo further training so that they possess the adequate skills to teach our learners.
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once that is put into place i truely think our country would vastly improve from being a developing third world country
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This is the sad reality of South African schools. And when learners get to tertiary education facilities, they are not able to handle the work, because of the lack of computer skills. I think computer education should be implemented in primary and high schools, then learners will have a good background and will be comfortable in tertiary education.
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They would be well equiped for tertiary education as most of the work given are posed to learners who are computer literate.once teachers are trained i think there would be a big difference in schools.
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ICTs is a barrier to a certaim extent, as we a developing country our learners face great difficulty. Our learners will also be introduced to Robotics. Which could lead to a greater barrier.
Whereas, my opinion is that the government should equipped the teachers with the necessary training which will make their work easier. As the older generation teachers refuse/ most likely find it difficult to adapt to ICTs
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our new generation of teachers will develop the necessary skills to find ways of bringing across this content, to the learners, but surely there will still be barriers in model C schools
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These are very Important skills that can be developed in the classroom. Also through technology it enhances the relationship between student and teacher and keep students more engaged.
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it keeps students engaged but the educators should gain the proper training in order for this to take place. the WCED should put this into place for our students to improve and be well equipped.
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Your points are so important, thank you. How are students supposed to learn about ICTS if the teacher is not equipped with the necessary knowledge. Most Teachers don’t even implement technology skills into their lessons for example PowerPoint and if the teacher does then it’s slides with lengthy information . Using technology in the class should make the lesson more interesting. Teachers should be trained efficiently and not just on how to use a laptop but more on how to make lessons easier to understand, more fun and interactive by implementing ICTS in their lessons.
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once the teacher gets the necessary training, all these things will be implemented as teachers could now be techno savy and use powerpoints in the classroom.
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I agree some older teachers are not equipped with the skills to use new technology in the classroom. We must keep in mind Computer literacy was taught to teachers while CAT was not a subject yet. So they still have the necessary skills to be teaching CAT because they have a technological background and the education department sends CAT teachers for workshops because technology is developing rapidly.
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technology improves on a daily basis so teachers have to be up to date with this improvements as the learners cant learn if the teachers do not know how the content should be taught.
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The intergration of technology in SA schools is one of the most remarkable steps the education system has implemented, all they need to do now is to perfect their good deed by implementing effective strategies to help minimize the barriers to ICT, as Lulama said implementing CAT as a compulsory subject would make a great difference. But I strongly believe that the availability of proper training for teacher would make the utmost difference as they are the drivers of the curriculum.
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they are the drivers of the curriculum as the proper training would make the difference that is needed. once this is put in place, schools pass rates would improve as better teaching methods would be implemented.
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This is a real struggle because students often leave high school without computer skills and find difficulties when they get to varsity…
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this is the reason for teachers to get the proper training. CAT should be approved by the department for schools to make this subject compulsory from grade 8 to 12.
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If the subject CAT is implemented from grade 8, the learners will see how useful it is. As a future CAT teacher, I know about technology and its benefits, I’m excited for the 4IR. It will bring great benefits into classroom and open the minds of our young ones.
Schools should get qualified teachers to teach CAT so that learners aren’t discouraged.
I always say if u can read u can do anything!
Waiting for a follow up blog…
Kind regards
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therefor old teachers require the proper training, once WCED can implement this strategy by approving CAT as an compulsory subject it will be a great difference in schools.
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Implementing CAT as a compulsory and recognized subject will aid learners, especially those who are interested in attending tertiary institutions because once enrolled as a university student you realize that it is necessary for you to be computer literate and be equipped with certain skills in order to be able to acquire certain important pieces of information.
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teachers should be well equipped first with the proper training in order for CAT to become compulsory and once WCED approves this there will be a vast difference in schools.
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Schools who can’t afford the resources such a computers, wifi etc are negatively impacted and are thus prevented from computer technology. Having computer technology in schools is a good idea because it creates fun lessons and makes things easier for the teachers and also the learners. An example could be Google classroom. Teachers can put notes on Google classroom instead if printing notes. However a barrier would be children who do not have access to the internet. A good idea could be a computer lab, that’s available to all learners. A good reason as to why they should be computer literate.
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Teachers should gain the proper training , schools will need to come up with the funds and then these good ideas could take place as this will broaden learners mindsets.
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As much as we love the idea of Integrating computers in schools we also need to understand that our country is so imbalanced in terms of technical education that most learners in rural and informal areas have absolutely no idea how to use a computer. I personally feel like the Department of Education is not doing everything they can to upskill technically challenged learners and I also think money is being misused so much that we have forgotten than young people are the future.
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our country is imbalanced but with the new president in place i think that there would be a vast change and money will be provided to schools. but teachers still need the necessary skills required to teach this given subject.
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I agree with some of the previous comments about making CAT or any technology related subject compulsory because the 21st century child is growing up in a technologically driven society and will need those skills and knowledge to make a positive contribution to society since almost all everything requires some form of knowledge and skills that is technology related.
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the fourth industrial revolution are in being integrated into schools but teachers still require the training needed to help learners improve there computer skills .
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I wouldn’t say learners are computer illiterate. They’re just very selective with their technological development abilities. Reason I say this is because as you’ve mentioned CAT is not an entry level subject. It’s something strange or different when they reach high school and high schools don’t make enough effort to explain and enhance the advantages that the subject has to offer. Also I agree that teachers need further training regarding ICT in the classroom. For some reason teachers are scared of learning they different technological approaches they could use in the classroom. It is important that they do learn because technology is slowly but surely (in South Africa atleast) becoming a part of everyday life and in the classroom.
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learners would be computer illiterate if ICTS is not integrated in schools. CAT as a compulsory subject would be a good idea. Teachers should get the desired training so that our country can improve and there would be a good connection between the learner and teacher.
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I agree that implementing CAT as an official high school subject would enable every person to be computer literate. There will be more job opportunities for them and also they’ll be able to access information without hassle.
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It should be an 8th subject from grade 8 to 12. Teaching the learners all the basic skills they need, in order for them to have at least ONE requirement for a job when applying, this will help them as technology is improving all the time and companies are looking for workers that are techno savy.
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I believe that it is of utmost importance that schools hire qualified teachers to teach learners in the schools. Teachers who are not qualified does not necessarily know all the basics and knowledge of simple computers/technology. This subject/basic knowledge is important for learners, as this moves with the developing of society. In order for learners to succeed and move with the times, they need to have a stable foundation of the basic computer/technology. The government needs to be strict for schools to only allow qualified educators at the school.
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if the department of education can see into this, i think the integrating of the 4th industrial revolution would be a success in schools.
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Your points are very well stated and i think that the lack of qualified teachers is in fact the main factor as you have stated because with teacher who are not qualified how are the learners supposed to be taught about technology
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technology improves on a daily basis so teachers have to be up to date with this improvements as the learners cant learn if the teachers do not know how the content should be taught.
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If that seems to be the case then I think that the integration of technology within the classroom should be enhanced in other subjects. That way even though learners are not doing CAT as a subject they are still exposed to computer literacy. Yes it is important that teachers should be equipped with the necessary skills needed for teaching computer literacy as they are dealing with a technologically driven learner and therefore they should be updated and implement strategies that involves technology it will make the learning experience more interesting.
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technology can be seen as the fourth industrial revolution and using that in our schools can prepare learners for the real world. But the human element is also a very important aspect. So incorporate technology in schools but also teach learners that they should remain human. but teachers still need the required training.
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I feel that students need the exposure to gain computer skills especially students who are not by the means to afford these equipment at home, it should at least be provided to them at schools. Even if all they will be taught are basic skills to use a computer.
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Teachers should gain the proper training , schools will need to come up with the funds and then these good ideas could take place as this will broaden learners mindsets.
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I agree with what you are presenting. ITCs and digital tools should be placed in all schools. I think because of the 4th industrial revolution, digital tools and technology is only increasing and upgrading. Therefore I believe that CAT and more technology use subjects should be added to the NCS.
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Advanced technology will definitely help the learners in future as technology develops regularly and continuously in order to make things more convenient on a day to day basis.
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This is an informative post
I think CAT should be introduced as a compulsory subject in grade 8 but as a basic level. This will allow learners to develop before coming to grade 10. By then choosing CAT should not be a problem for learners. Teachers should be trained effectively to incorporate technology in the classroom. This may take quite some time but it will help the development of technology intergration in the classroom.
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This is why teachers need to integrate. It helps both learners and teachers to obtain computer skills and be able to work fast. Curriculum needs to accommodate computer teachers who are willing to integrate, this is one of the greatest teaching pedagogy
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My take on this matter is that majority of the old school teachers doesn’t want to allow ICT integration to happen as they are in a comfort zone of methodology.
As educators we need to always try an improve on methodology and try and not recycle knowledge so that the future generation can improve with technology.
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in some schools i visited,teachers are still making use of only chalkboards whereas there are many different ways to convey a lesson and to accommodate for a variety of students.
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We can’t always blame educatiors for not implementing ICT’s in lessons. Most of the time, the schools might not have the proper resources needed and the teacher might just have her computer. It’s difficult to implement ICT’S when the class /school does not have the proper resources.
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With the fourth revolution comes a lot of challenges like how to present technology in classrooms as well as how to allow teachers to learn to use it. Everything that counts as an expense, then again, dont forget that their will be disadvantages. and teachers require the proper training.
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Your blog is informative. Resources are a major factor in integrating computers in our schools. Poor schools need resources in order to implement ICT’S in schools. The communities should pitch in as well because you cant rely only on the teacher to implement it if their are no resources available.
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Teaching methods and strategies have changed over the years and so has technology. The methods that teachers used back in the day there was no learner interaction/engagement, it was direct instruction and learners couldn’t raise their own opinion.” Our technology has rapidly advanced forward yet our teaching methodology is too traditional and antiquated. More technology needs to be integrated within the classroom. WCED or the school have to come up with the funds
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I believe that universities should change their policies and allow CAT learners entry into varsity so that South Africa can have more technogically skilled people to teach our learners and high schools.
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It is the duty of educators to prepare learners and equip them with the necessary set of skills in technology for both tertiary and work environment.
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I completly agree with you South Africa is a developing country, we are currently behind and to speed up the procedure and include ict in all schools. Teachers need to equip learners with the necessary technology skilla in
order to prepare them to be successful. Great blog! 🙂
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i believe that modern technology will be made teaching simpler and easier. With technology of today, students actually get involved and are interested in what they are learning, especially with the video streaming method.
I believe that educators should adapt to the new technology to be prepared for the fourth industrial revolution. It benefits both the learner and the educator and makes learning so much more fun.
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