Innovative EdTech for Grade 12 learners

The Covid-19 pandemic has almost forced people to get more in touch with technology.

With the closure of schools and for them to adapt to social distancing ways of learning, Educational Technology (EdTech) is fast becoming the ideal way to teach. Friends and Sandton innovators Max Coleman and Jack Scott-King are at the forefront of online learning with their specialised online MasterClasses in collaboration with Redhill School.

Powered by their existing platform SubjeX, the MasterClasses were born out of necessity.

“There has been a huge amount of uncertainty and a big gap in the education system and Covid-19 has hugely disrupted the school year for every grade but moist importantly the matrics. The MasterClass is a really great tool to help Grade 12 learners get their desired results,” said Scott-King.

SubjeX was created a few years ago and Coleman mentioned that it came about through their own firsthand experience.

“We knew the issues and problems that learners typically go through. What we also identified was that many of them also struggle with subject choices in Grade 9 and so we wanted to help aid that as well. So SubjeX morphed into an all in one education hub, based on the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has now grown into something more,” said Coleman.

The MasterClasses can be defined as curated workshops on the highest level to give learners tips and hints ensuring they ace their final matric exams.

Scott-King added that they didn’t just want to help learners who couldn’t afford it but help those who didn’t have access as well.

“We would like to democratise the education system in South Africa because there are bigger problems at the grassroots level. In terms of underprivileged students, we understand that South Africa is not in a good place in terms of inequality. There is a great discrepancy with the elite and the people that can’t even afford basic education. It’s very tricky,” said Coleman.

They did identify that their technology could technically perpetuate inequality in the country which was not their goal.

“Education in and of itself could actually be the solution to inequality. When you are educating people, they begin to understand better. That is a step in the right direction but only if it gets in the hands of the underprivileged in general. We identified this and have since then partnered with different NGOs such as the Alexandra Education Committee, iSchoolAfrica and the Tomorrow Trust,” they said.

With a passion for technology the duo intend on becoming pioneers in the EdTech industry.

“Education is the first stepping stone in changing the continent and aiding it. We are both very passionate about that so going into the future we really want to be focused in the EdTech sector. We really want to build up something great, disrupt the market and really just help as much students as possible by making a great impact in the education world,” said Scott-King.