Learning made easy was embraced by Goede Hoop Primary School on June 7 after the Reiger Park school implemented online English literacy programmes through The Click Foundation.
Liezl Myers wrote to the Boksburg Advertiser on behalf of the school, providing the following:
Background
Principals from the Ekurhuleni South school district were invited to attend an information session in November 2018 with The Click Foundation, an NGO located in Sandton.
The Click Foundation’s primary focus is to implement online English literacy programmes in underprivileged primary schools across South Africa.
The information session was held to educate the various school principals on how to empower their schools to become technologically advanced in English home language and mathematics.
The information session highlighted the various programmes, which would be offered to young learners to navigate their learning journey through fun, entertaining activities through technology. In doing so, the school district and The Click Foundation would focus on the learning crisis by training the young learners with the technological skills essential for future success.
Goede Hoop Primary’s involvement
In 2000, the former principal of Goede Hoop Primary, Gerald Henley, was part of the pilot scheme with the Gauteng Online Schools Project (GOSP), but the project was decommissioned.
However, Henley secured sponsorship through Mercantile Bank to renovate the computer centre and supply 20 new desktop computers. The new computer centre was handed over to the school on behalf of Mercantile Bank by Teagran Govender in April 2018.
With the fully functional existing computer lab at Goede Hoop Primary, principal Jose Grotewold seized the opportunity to make the lab user-friendly and easily accessible for the foundation phase learners by implementing the offered online learning programme and remote learning from Click Foundation.
Initially, the programme was scheduled to launch at Goede Hoop Primary in mid-2020; however, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the launch had to be postponed.
On June 7, the online learning initiative was launched and Goede Hoop Primary received 36 tablets, covers, chargers and 54 headsets from the foundation.
The launch rolled out in the computer lab with 25 enthusiastic Grade Two learners, facilitated by Keabetsoe Monageng, Meagan Abdul and Abongile Manqunqulu.
The various facilitators introduced the online programme to the learners, demonstrating how the tablets, headsets and programmes would function.
The learners eagerly raised their hands to question and answer the facilitators on the functionality of the online programme.
The facilitators will be permanently based at Goede Hoop Primary for the remainder of the year, assisting Grade One and Two learners with the online learning programme and remote learning.
The growth coordinator from The Click Foundation, Romeo Zikhala, accompanied the three facilitators at the launch. During his interview, Zikhala excitedly mentioned that the focus was on the learners.
“To introduce the e-learning programme aimed at improving mathematical skills and English literacy through the usage of Matific, Reading Eggs and Reading Eggpress, these programme licences were purchased by The Click Foundation, whereby the login details were distributed to each Grade One and Two learners on behalf of the schools.
“The launch day is specifically focused on Grade Two, but Grade One learners will also be roped in for 2021. As the learners progress from Grade One to Grade Two and from Grade Two to Grade Three, this will ultimately cover the bases of the foundation phase by what is called a roll-out process.”
The e-learning programmes will completely transform how learning is imparted to learners at Goede Hoop Primary, making it simpler, easier and more effective.
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