Schoolnet Namibia
Overview
“SchoolNet (Namibia) has achieved an incredible amount. In just over five years. SchoolNet has launched an independent educational Internet Service Provider (ISP), successfully connected around 300 schools to this ISP as well as numerous other educational clients, including libraries, teacher resource centres and non-government agencies, and set up computer laboratories in these schools and in many of the other resource centres. It has also shown how these can be done in rural and disadvantaged areas where there are neither telephone lines nor connections to the power grid. SchoolNet ISP currently has some 180,000+ regular users of the internet - the nearest next commercial provider has a dial-up client base of about 11,000 users.
SchoolNet has pioneered affordable strategies and solutions for schools. Its models combine low-cost refurbished computers, free and open source operating systems, software applications and educational content, significantly discounted access to the Internet using wireless (spread-spectrum WIFI in the ISM 2.4GHz band and now in the 2.6GHz band) in remote parts of Namibia, and the offer of ICT volunteers to provide basic ICT support and training after set up and installation.
SchoolNet has become a strong voice for ICTs in schools and the education sector. Its wide contacts with key actors in the ICT and education sectors provide it with influence and leverage. Government and other actors have begun to take these issues seriously. Other similar projects are emerging.” E-mail text from Joris Komen, CEO of SchoolNet Namibia
It is abundantly clear from these powerful statements that SchoolNet Namibia has developed a model for the empowerment of students through the Internet which needs to be analysed to determine what the key success factors were. Information for the analysis was gathered during a visit to Namibia in March 2005 where the authors had the opportunity to speak to Joris Komen, SchoolNet employees and volunteers, a range of high level stakeholders and also users in rural sites in northern Namibia. The interviews were recorded and documented as the main source of information for this analysis.
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The programme is a mature and developed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solution for schools and has been researched from various perspectives. In keeping with the overall philosophy of the IDRC First-Mile First Inch projects in other African countries, the Outcome Mapping framework was used in this document to explore the details of the programme, to get to grips with the main aspects and to lay down a possible road map for replication in other situations.
In keeping with this framework, the Intentional Design component was applied to the SchoolNet case study to analyse the programme under the headings:
- Vision and Mission
- Boundary partners
- Outcome challenges
- Progress markers
- Strategy maps
- Organisational practices
Attention was then paid to the overall model covering the physical components of SchoolNet, the current status of the programme, a graphical representation of the components and their linkages, a broad discussion of the Open Source/Microsoft debate, before reviewing the logic of the programme.
In the analysis it became obvious that the Ministries of Education have recognised the value of the programme, have accepted its details and have started taking ownership of the mechanisms of implementation. This is an indication that a civil society initiative has been accepted into the hierarchy of educational service delivery and has become institutionalised and represents a fundamental shift in the focus of the programme. The review of the logic of the program is therefore done from the perspective of the Ministries of Education, with the identification of a new set of boundary partners, outcome challenges and progress markers.
In conclusion a second shift of emphasis is suggested regarding the acceptance at community level, the effective integration of ICT resources into learning and teaching and the institutionalisation at the user level.
Intentional design
This section explores the SchoolNet Namibia programme using the Intentional Design sub-headings of the Outcome Mapping methodology
Vision
The SchoolNet vision is gathered directly from their website and amounts to the following:
SchoolNet Namibia is driven by a vision of empowering youth through internet access and giving each student the skills to participate in the digital revolution.
Mission
To realise this vision, different mission aspects had to be dealt with. The SchoolNet approach to their mission involves:
- Gathering political support
- Establishing partnerships
- Constructing an appropriate solution
- Expanding the reach of the programme
- Regulatory endorsement
- Affordability
- Sustainability
Gathering political support
SchoolNet provided the opportunity for students to be exposed to global information, new ways of thinking and a resource base which far exceeds what the education system has been able to provide. The socio-political implications of a (private) initiative of this nature had to be considered carefully to determine whether access to the internet could be seen as a threat to the philosophy of the country and especially the ethos of its education system. High-level political support was needed to endorse the SchoolNet programme and to set the parameters within which it should operate.
Establishing partnerships
SchoolNet is a civil society idea, driven by specific champions, which needed to link with key partners to give substance to the concept. The principal partners included local communities, government officials, the private sector, academic institutions and international institutions. According to the Outcome Mapping methodology, these are the direct boundary partners which will be analysed in detail in the next section.
Constructing an appropriate solution
The vision is based on a programme of providing access to the internet and providing the skills to participate in the digital revolution for all Namibian students. To ensure user buy-in, the solution offered therefore had to be accessible, understandable, stable and affordable.
Expanding the reach of the programme
To achieve the vision of “all” Namibian students, SchoolNet had to plan to reach all the 1500 or more schools in the country.
Regulatory endorsement
Internet access can be provided through wired, wireless and satellite communications, all of which resort under the telecommunications regulatory control and the legislation relating to the use of the communications spectrum. Access to the appropriate parts of the spectrum had to be endorsed by the Namibian Telecommunications Regulator.
Affordability
The cost of connectivity is a barrier to entry in most situations. SchoolNet formulated a strategy to minimise the costs of the capital component, connectivity, training and support to make access to the internet affordable across the board in Namibia.
Sustainability
SchoolNet put strategy in place to deal with the two main sustainability issues: Finances and functions.
Boundary partners and outcome challenges
The definitions for boundary partners and outcome challenges are given and then applied:
“Boundary partners are those individuals, groups, or organisations with whom the programme interacts directly and with whom the program can anticipate opportunities for influence. The power to influence development rests with them. The programme tries to facilitate the process by providing access to new resources, ideas or opportunities (through the boundary partners).”
“An outcome challenge describes how the behaviour, relationships, activities, or actions of an individual, group, or institution will change if the programme is extremely successful”.
The identified Boundary Partners for SchoolNet Namibia are shown, together with the categories of Boundary Partners: