LEARNERS from 10 underresourced schools in Nelson Mandela Bay are celebrating their improved results in maths and science, thanks to a technology-linked support programme run by the Telkom Foundation, in partnership with Nelson Mandela University.
The top-performing school in this year’s Integrated Maths and Science Development Programme was Khwezi Lomso Comprehensive School, while the top learners were St Thomas High Grade 12 twins Courtney and Chloe Koeberg, who attained 87% and 83% respectively) and Cillié High Grade 11 learner Valerie van Vuuren with 83%.
Their results in the curriculum-aligned programme were well above the national average for maths and science in this country, which last year were 51.1% and 62% respectively.
The three-year R3 million project, which started last year, is sponsored by the Telkom Foundation – Telkom’s corporate social investment (CSI) arm – and run in partnership with NMU’s Govan Mbeki Mathematics Development Centre (GMMDC).
The 10 participating schools are Cillié, Douglas Mbopa, Gelvandale, Khwezi Lomso, Ndyebo, Ndzondelelo, St Thomas and Woolhope in Port Elizabeth, and Solomon Mahlangu and Uitenhage High in Uitenhage.
“The Telkom Foundation is focussed on basic education to enable the youth to participate in the economy through the ICT sector,” said Nathi Kunene, Telkom Foundation’s senior manager: CSI.
“Through partnerships such as this one, which help to adequately prepare learners in maths and science to access careers in ICT, the foundation is able to deliver on its mandate.”
The innovative project has three legs, including tablet-assisted after-school peer support (TAPS) run at all 10 schools for 110 selected Grade 11 and 12 learners, an incubator school programme (ISP) run on Saturdays for 64 Grade 11 and 12 learners from the Telkom Foundation schools and additional learners from 20 other schools in the Bay, and laptop-based skills training via a professional learning network (PLN) programme for 20 teachers at the 10 schools.
Each of the 10 schools have also received a resource centre with sponsored desktop computers.
At the project’s core is GMMDC’s pioneering technology-linked teaching and learning model, which is available on tablet and desktop computers for the TAPS and ISP learners, and laptops for teachers.
