The IT industry is up in arms this morning over a decision by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to scrap the use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in schools, and to drop Java in favour of Delphi as the programming language of choice.
Circular S9 of 2013 refers to the standardisation of software tools to implement and assess computer applications technology (CAT) and information technology (IT).
For CAT, from January 2014, the department will standardise on the latest version of Microsoft Office, with MS Office 2010 and MD Office 2013 being implemented across the board.
The programming language to implement the IT curriculum will be standardised using Delphi. For those provinces currently using Java, the shift will take place in January 2015 for Grade 11s and 2016 for Grade 12s. As from November 2016, only Delphi will be used for NSC examinations.
The Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) has issued a statement that these decision will have a massive impact in IT learning, as well as for the South African industry as a whole.
“The decision is considered by many to be a giant step backwards, rather than being a bold step into the future for IT education in our schools,” it states.
The IITPA states that some of the implications include:
* Teachers currently in training might have to change the programming language they are being taught mid-stream.
* Teachers in those schools where Java is being taught will need to be retrained during 2014 so that they are ready to teach Delphi in Grade 11 in 2015. Some may resist, as they know they will be retiring in the next year or so. Who will provide this training?
* Many schools have had problems with sustaining IT as a subject. This from a cost perspective and also from the difficulty they have had in finding a suitably qualified teacher. They may decide that enough is enough and decide to start phasing the subject out from next year. In other words, this year’s Grade 10 class could be their last class.
This could severely impact on the subject in the rural areas, which will be hard pressed to find suitably qualified teachers.
* Most tertiary institutions are teaching C++, Java, Python or other similar languages. Can you see universities switching to teaching Delphi? So where will the trained teachers required in future years come from?
* The SA Computer Olympiad finalists have, in the main, either been self-taught or have come from schools where Java has been taught. This will change and may start to impact on SA’s standing in the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) and elsewhere. Over the past number of years, only Pascal and C++ have been used in the IOI, but there is a strong possibility that Java will be used as from 2014.
* In South Africa, we are taking a step backwards into the past as far as the teaching of IT in schools is concerned. In the rest of the world, the move is to Java and now possibly Python. Delphi is hardly taught in any school system elsewhere in the world.
* The Delphi bias is towards teaching “commercial computing”; in other words, there is always a database of some form behind what is being taught. We are not training learners about “scientific computing”, which this country desperately needs. Where does the STEM focus slot into this decision?
* The dropping of the provision for open source software seems to be contrary to the government’s declaration that state departments use open source unless they can show reason why open source products will not work.
Many school systems around the world are seeing the benefits of using open source. Learners are using Android and iOS on their handheld devices – why shouldn’t they be exposed to using other operating systems, such as Ubuntu?
* Many schools currently teaching CAT will not have the funding to move from MS Office 2003, MS Office 2007 or LibreOffice to the versions prescribed in the circular, and so could drop the subject. This could mean the numbers of learners taking CAT will start to decrease – and SA desperately needs IT-literate citizens.
IITPSA urges the DBE to reconsider the decision, which we believe was taken because they were not fully aware of all the implications, and were essentially uninformed or, at worst misinformed.
Derek Keats, owner of Kenga Solutions, blogs that the “worst aspect” of Delphi is that it does not work on open source operating systems such as GNU/Linux.
“This creates totally unnecessary pressure on schools to have Microsoft operating systems, and gives that particular software license rental company unfair advantage in our schools to the detriment of our children.”
This is truly a shame. Can the government really has such a lack of foresight!!
The shortcomings in this decision is laughable. AFAIK great strides has been made into adopting FOSS usage in schools and the majority sees the benefits. Personally I think someone saw $$ flowing in from somewhere. Could fraud be involved?
From a recruiting agency who have placed IT graduates for over 10 years it will be a very sad day when universities are forced to teach Delphi. Current languages in demand in industry are Java and .Net.
In a country with such a high unemployment rate I shudder to think what the future holds if we revert to Delphi!
This article is full of inacurrancies.
a. “Many schools currently teaching CAT will not have the funding to move from MS Office 2003, MS Office 2007” – Microsoft provides office free of charge to places of learning (thats if no corruption creeps in);
b. “Teachers in those schools where Java is being taught will need to be retrained” – The reason for the whole standardization is that schools were choosing at a school level which language to teach causing fragmentation across the schooling system. If the education department had standardized on Java more reducation was necessary;
c. “Learners are using Android and iOS on their handheld devices” – Delphi can targe these platforms.
Although I may agree with the sentiment, lets get the facts straight.
“Microsoft provides office free of charge to places of learning”
That is no more, unless MS has change again
Look here : http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45412
What’s “MD Office 2013”
Niklaus Wirth created Pascal (the language used in Delphi) with the goal of improving how computer science is taught. I believe the DBE’s Delphi decision is a great step forward in laying down the CORRECT foundations of programming. I know of computer science teachers that have been waiting for this news for a few years. Anders Hejlsberg is the creator of Delphi and later joined Microsoft to create C#, I believe he got it right the first time. Embarcadero announced at the latest Delphi launch that they will supply a FREE copy of Delphi for each student.
(personal background)
I’m a 32-year old developer, and I’ve been a fairly hardcore developer for the last 10 years of my life. In school I learned both Pascal and Delphi. At university I learnt Java and C++. Since then I develop in PHP, HTML, Perl, JavaScript, Python and a few other languages.
I also tutored matric students in Computer Studies.
I’ve worked at major companies like Cell C, Vodacom, FNB developing and improving their systems.
My father has been a teacher all his life, a lecturer, and a Principle. He’s currently working with Curricula for teacher training with SETA.
I believe I’m slightly qualified to comment on the subject.
@jppienaar:disqus
With all due respect, I dont agree with the idea that Delphi is a good choice *for students of today*
Firstly, despite the many changes they’ve made along the way, the language was designed almost 30 years ago (1985). I think we can all agree that means it was never intended for the nature of usage we have today.
Java on the other hand, was developed with the main aims of : (a) having a small footprint, to (b) enable it to be embedded onto microchips inside almost any device, (c) to be platform agnostic, (d) scalable to Enteprise development requirements, etc.
(in my opinion)
This makes Java a much better *learning* tool for a plethora of extremely practical and valid reasons.
If you’re talking about Object Oriented Programming then Java is the better choice in that for another multitude of reasons. Java’s typing system, Interface system, templating system (ala C++) all not only provide near best preactice methods of approach, but also restrict the developer from “cowboy programming”, and thus also intrinsically enforcing type safety etc.
I haven’t yet had time to fully look at all the reasons the department gives, but this is CLEARLY a “Microsoft Special Deal” – I don’t see any other reason why the clearly better option of Java would have been dropped from the curriculum.
When I have some time, I’ll provide a better comparison to illustrate why Java is the better option. And comes with Professional and FREE IDEs and Tools.
The Rovers on the Moon and Mars use Java.
Not Delphi.
Android uses Java.
Not Delphi.
BluRay Players use Java.
Not Delphi.