Gqeberha school, tech company pioneer SA’s first innovation and tech centre for pupils

A new educational technology centre, called the Woodridge Innovation & Technology Centre, that focuses on readying pupils for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has opened in Woodridge, in Gqeberha.

The centre is the result of an industry-education partnership between tech company Jendamark Automation and Woodridge College with the aim of giving pupils hands-on, practical experience in working with collaborative robots, coding and programming, 3D printing and modelling, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), drone flying and others.

Woodridge College headmaster, Derek Bradley, said that exposing pupils to this type of advanced and integrated technology will give them the skills and the competitive edge when entering university or joining the workforce.

Equipment for a hands-on education

“Real-life applications are a critical aspect when teaching children about a subject. As such, the equipment and expertise provided by Jendamark would allow the centre to meet the goals the partners had jointly set,” he explained.

Deputy head for academics at Woodrigde, Dr Catherine Logie, said that a focus on skills development was key to navigating change.

“If one has a curriculum which not only focuses on content but also on skills, then the content becomes a means to an end and pupils are able to adapt and learn as environments change.

“Having partners outside the fields of education gives teachers the opportunity to learn new things and adapt their lessons,” said Logie.

Logie added: “A tech centre is not just about coding or robotics, but is about having a space which is equipped differently from a standard classroom where pupils and teachers can explore parts of the curriculum.

“Already the Physical Sciences department is looking at how they can utilise the space and some of the equipment for expanding their practical work on motion. The new centre will generate renewed excitement around learning.”

An educational revolution

Head of the Information Technology department at Woodridge, Nicholas Kock, said it was exciting for the school to be leading this education revolution and expanding its digital programme offering.

“In addition to our IT, CAT and Computer Literacy programmes that we currently offer in our existing computer labs, the new tech centre allows us to implement Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and 21st century skills.”