MDANTSANE – To enhance and promote innovative teaching and learning methods, the Eastern Cape Department of Education and Click organization cooperated to launch a groundbreaking e-learning support programme to improve learning outcomes in literacy in the province, at Equleni primary school at Mdantsane.
The collaboration aligns with pillar 3 of the Education Sector Transformation Plan (ESTP) and uniformise to the provincial reading strategy of 2022-2030 by improving reading skills through digital platforms.
With all being said these organisations officially launched the programme as the agreement has been signed to enable schools and ensuring learner’s are infront of devices and maximizing learning opportunities.
Out of more than 40 schools in Eastern Cape are already part of the programme. The official launch took place on 14 June, at Equleni primary school.
The Chief Executive Officer of Click organisation Nicholas Harris mentioned that they signed the MIU previous year and they launched 22 schools.
Harris said that, “what I want to drive home is that, this is partnership of action and implementation we are here today to launch 20 schools in Mdantsane. To provide connectivity and also provide devices so far in Eastern cape we have deployed 2000 devices in the Eastern cape schools, and we will be deploying 900 further more to Mdantsane schools.”
Harris further said, “our role as Click is to help to enable environment to work along side with the department of education on how to implement the programme.”
In addition Harris emphasized that, they also employ the unemployed youth from the community, in total they have 70 schools in the province that they will deploy 3000 devices to the schools where they will be connected with 5G internet in partnership with rain company for internet connectivity.
Principal of Equleni primary school Dumisa Mrhwetyana stated that in overwhelmed emotion,”we are excited for this programme and also the presence of Nal’bali is also acknowledged as they also assist us to read and comprehend so that 2030 vision is met.”
MEC of Education in Eastern Cape Fundile Gade point of view on this matter is that after throughly investigation, they received report that the learners are unable to write and read with meaning.
MEC Gade said, “we have targeted the foundation phase from grades 1 to 4 to ensure that the improvement from lower levels in terms of basic education and how to expand these programs is met”.
MEC Gade further added, “the collaboration and frame work that we have agreed with Click, is that we have targeted 3 districts in past month. If we can be able to find a way of getting our footprint in the former Transkei area we could be good to go.
You would remember that it’s where the magnitude of the learners of the province are and that’s where the area of rural development destitute of the province is at”.
Gade emphasized that there is a crisis of reading, comprehension and also understanding from numerical point of view, thus the strategy of education and also Click is to start from below in foundation phase is super one as grade 12 results are the same as grade R results.
With this programme the department aims to provide learners with a personalized learning journey, designed to improve literacy and numeracy from lower grades through use of ICT and thus forging a path to equitable education.
