6
Countries that do well at ICT-driven innovation tend to introduce ICT
education as early as kindergarten. There is no ICT education - or
computers - in the vast majority of primary schools in Botswana and
only limited numbers of computers at the junior and secondary levels.
Where there are computers, the student to computer ratio is too high to
have any significant benefit. Teachers will have to be trained, and school
access to electricity remains a critical challenge that must be addressed
as a matter of priority.
3.7
Improving access to healthcare information and services through the
effective use of ICT is particularly important in Botswana. Overall, there
is a high degree of awareness of the importance of e-Health and there are
a few initiatives underway. Lack of integration is a key issue and close
coordination between the public and private health systems is essential.
One of the concerns identified during community visits was the lack of
availability to basic healthcare information, particularly in relation to
HIV/AIDS. This information could be incorporated into an eGovernment portal. ICT training for health professionals, including
administrative and support staff, will be particularly important as ICT
offers considerable benefits in terms of healthcare management and
administration.
3.8
The November 2004 ICT Sector Survey suggests that Botswana’s
government and private sector generate approximately 1Billion Pula in
annual IT sales. This is impressive and highlights the fact that
organisations see great value in ICT. However, there is still significant
potential for Botswana’s private sector to make better use of ICT as a
productivity and efficiency tool. Some of the traditional and more
sophisticated sectors, such as mining and financial services, make
greater use of ICTs and electronic business transactions than the smaller
industries, however, as frequently voiced throughout the e-Readiness
and policy development process, there is often a complaint that
telecommunications service quality is inadequate and a barrier to
additional business opportunities. Currently there are insufficient
opportunities in the private sector for IT professionals, and as a result
many graduates struggle to find employment and gradually move into
other fields. Generally, the marketplace is some way from the National
ICT goals of developing a globally competitive ICT sector. Achieving
this will require substantial financial investment, significant upgrades in
infrastructure, changes in legislation and a development of a suitably
trained workforce.
3.9
Government has an important role to play in stimulating ICT take-up in
all elements of society. It has a modern technical infrastructure that is
capable of providing valuable information and services to citizens and