Early LiteracySTEMLibraries/Access to Education Resources
2024-25
South Africa
Rotary Club of Tygerberg
District 9350
Kristiaanstad Rotary Club
District 2395
Sweden
Project Impact
2500
7 communities
Budget
15600
130000
Description
Educate and Uplift Summary
Education in South Africa is in crisis. Two statistics highlight this: At the age of ten only 2 learners can read for meaning in their home language and, 50% of learners entering formal education in Grade 1 fail to make it to Grade 12 within 12 years. In addition to this, the government does not have sufficient resources to address this crisis. Evidence shows that the use of tablets as a teaching resource in under-resourced schools can accelerate learning. The Rotary Club of Tygerberg wants to make this possible.
In an article “Six ways that tablets really can transform teaching” Nicola Pitchford and Laura Outhwaite describe how for Malawian learners, one week of working on I-pads for 30 minutes a day equates to 3 months of formal education. Foundation Phase teachers, who must cope with up to 40 learners in a class, work in smaller groups of 10 to explain concepts. Using tablets, learners can work on their own to reinforce these concepts. The teacher can assist individual learners where they are struggling and vary the level of difficulty for different learners.
The Rotary Club of Tygerberg would like to raise R3.7 million to resource 8 rural and peri-urban schools on the fringes of the City of Cape Town. In collaboration with the Western Education Department, 77 Foundation Phase teachers will be trained in eLearning and provided with 11 tablets to upload apps focussed on Maths and Language Skills and a secure charging unit. In addition to improving Maths and Language skills, the use of tablets has been proven to develop cognitive and non-cognitive skills. The project will impact 2500 learners annually and ultimately bring upliftment to the communities in which they live.
The cost for one class with teacher training and 11 tablets will be R48 000 while a small school with four Foundation Phase classes will cost R193 000. Implementation at two schools have already started.
At the Rotary Club of Tygerberg we believe an investment in Education is an investment in the future prosperity of a community. If you would like more information please contact Willy Watson on +27 82 781 0782 or Foundation Chair Margaret Lambert on +27 82 372 7301 or email presidentrotaryclubtygerberg@gmail.com.
PS We have implemented the project at two schools as we have received donations from businesses who have asked for feedback with regards to the progress of the project early 2025