THE KHANYA PROJECT has won the Standard Bank Centre for Public Sector Innovation Award in the category Innovative Service Delivery Institutions last night in Johannesburg.

Khanya is an initiative of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) and seeks to enhance teaching and learning by using affordable and appropriate technology as a tool to improve curriculum delivery.

Western Cape Education MEC Cameron Dugmore has congratulated the project and congratulated the Khanya team at a brief ceremony today (Monday, 6 September), held to celebrate their achievement and express his appreciation for their role in improving the quality of education in the province.

Gauteng Online, the Khanya Project's Gauteng counterpart, came in at third place and Kimberley Hospitals Complex won second prize at the 2004 Innovation and Sustainability Awards ceremony in Johannesburg.

Khanya's latest achievement follows on the recognition by the City of Stockholm in May this year for its contribution in the global movement of building a better information society for all.

The award is designed to recognize innovation and sustainability in the private and public sectors.

Recognising Khanya as "one project that stands out as a success", the Awards issue of Financial Mail supplement, Innovations, recognizes that Khanya's efforts, "though not unique, are successful because of 'the combination of all its areas of expertise and community involvement".

Already the number of learners taking Mathematics and Science on the Higher Grade and coping successfully has increased. Numeracy and Literacy tests in the lower grades show improvement, pointing to a generation of more able matriculants.

Through the Khanya Project the WCED has proved that it has the ability to roll out technology to schools on a large scale and to successfully deliver the curriculum.

Khanya is committed to ensure that all high schools have computers by the end of next year.

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi.