The future belongs to all of us and we’re doing our part to help lay the foundation for South Africa’s ongoing development by investing in important education projects.
In a world where technology is fast becoming an essential part of the education environment, our Coal business in South Africa is supporting a technology-based project that creates virtual class rooms for students from disadvantaged schools.
The initiative is the brainchild of Ermelo-based Ligbron Academy – a technical high school, where for many years, all learners were required to take maths and physical science.
“Because of our vast experience in teaching these subjects, rural and township schools regularly approached us for help for their own learners. However, for logistical reasons these efforts didn’t have much impact,” says deputy-principal Frans Kalp.
This encouraged Ligbron to look to broadband and interactive whiteboard technology, which today places young people across geographies in virtual classrooms with the best instruction available. Up to 12,000 learners sit in this virtual classroom every week, and the results have already started to show.
Schools are linked via smartboard technology, giving learners a view of the teacher, the problem under discussion and other pupils working on the same subject matter. This means that teens can participate in lessons presented by a teacher more than 200 kilometres away.
Supplementary classes are currently broadcast to 14 rural and township schools three times a week, and this number is expected to grow to 25 by year-end.
“The project by no means supersedes the important role of teachers as it focuses only on the revision of key aspects of the weekly syllabus and areas that learners find particularly challenging,” says Frans.
An additional benefit is that teachers are able to learn from their peers.
Bonke Ntimane, general manager of our Landau colliery, joined Kopanang learners when the system went live at their school on Tuesday, 23 February, and addressed the matric class of 2016.
“We invested in this technology because we believe in you, and believe that this innovation will give you the advantage you need as you write your final exams later this year. We also believe that you have what it takes to forge yourselves a bright future,” he said, reminding them that their success would not only shape their own destinies but also those of their families.