Robotics club a hit at Northern Academy

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How often have we seen robots in movies trying to take over the world? For learners at Northern Academy in Polokwane, it seems as though robots are rather trying to ‘take over’ the classroom. Not many schools are fortunate enough to have a Robotics club, however, Northern Academy, a school managed by Curro, makes sure it’s one step ahead of the rest when preparing our country’s youth for the fourth industrial revolution.
One may be thinking, “robots in the classroom? But how?” These robots are far more inconspicuous than those found in the Terminator movies, since the Robotics club make use of the popular LEGO Mindstorms NXT system. These are programmable robotics kits that allow learners to build a robot and then programme it to move, play sounds or music, grab things or walk around.
Led by the enthusiastic Mr N. Kanyunyi, members of the Robotics club spend their time after school in the computer lab, busy using software to programme their LEGO robots. Being able to code is seen as a modern basic skill, especially since we live in a digital era. The club members are learners between the ages of 11 and 13.
For Grade six learner, Blessing Phasha, his time at the Robotics club started last year, when as one of the top three pupils in Mathematics, he was asked to join. Phasha enthusiastically learnt the basics with speed and loved his time there so much that leaving the club was out of the question.
Programming these robots and making sure they work perfectly is what drives this young man, seeing that, as he so correctly states, these are the days of technology and you have to understand it to be a part of it. Phasha already has his future mapped out, noting how he hopes to become a scientist one day; perhaps even an astrophysicist.
Muzondo Anashe Tselani had a similar experience to Phasha. As one of the top three natural science learners in her grade, she was selected to see what the Robotics club is all about. For her, being part of the club is as much of a bonding experience as it is a learning one, since four of her classmates are also members. Being able to construct a robot, programme it via PC, and then connecting it to see it work properly, is also highly satisfying for this grade six learner.
The passion that drives both Phasha and Tselani is frequently seen in learners studying at Curro schools. It’s not surprising, with Curro actively encouraging them to grab their talent by the horns and become true candidates for their #Learners2Leaders campaign. Curro believes that learners such as Tselani and Blessing, are often an inspiration to other pupils, and go on to become leaders not only in school but also in the community around them. With the importance of robotics, coding and artificial intelligence only growing, these learners are sure to be sufficiently skilled for careers of the future.