Dimension Data, an African-born systems integrator and managed services provider, is proud to launch its Saturday School Programme in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. For the past 25 years, Dimension Data's Saturday School Programme has helped over 2 000 students to unlock the benefits of STEM education in Gauteng.
The programme has been recognised by the Gauteng Department of Education as one of the top three education interventions in Gauteng. The programme is a two-year initiative that benefits 100 grade 11 and 12 pupils from 21 public high schools in Gauteng each year.
The focus of the programme is supplementary education with an emphasis on Mathematics and Physical Science. Additionally, the programme seeks to provide further learning and teaching resources to previously disadvantaged pupils and public high schools in underserved communities across South Africa.
The Saturday School has now been launched in Port Elizabeth, allowing Eastern Cape learners to benefit in the same way. The programme has been instrumental in assisting to bridge the digital divide by providing innovative solutions which support schools by accelerating education, helping the average learner to improve on their marks.
Dimension Data is committed to enhancing the state of education throughout South Africa. The Eastern Cape has previously been identified as a poor performing region in the country due to significant structural challenges in its education systems, with many students having to travel long distances to school and schools lacking adequate infrastructure. However, in 2019, the matric pass rate improved from 70.6% to 76.5%, which indicates the province will benefit from the Dimension Data Saturday School Programme.
Grant Bodley, Dimension Data Middle East and Africa CEO, states: “Education is a top priority for Dimension Data. Given the immense success of the programme in Gauteng and the growing challenges experienced across the South African public-school system, we are proud to announce we are expanding to other communities. The first planned rollout begins as a pilot this year in Port Elizabeth, with the aim of expanding this further in 2021.”
Shakes Makgalemane, Dimension Data Saturday School Programme Manager, says: “Saturday School has contributed immensely to the development of our youth. Our students come from humble beginnings to become role models to their peers, and in society. We started with only 11 learners and to date we have touched over 2 000 lives of ordinary South Africans.
“The primary objective of Saturday School is to bridge the gap between under-resourced schools and private schools in terms of quality and output, and I believe in the Saturday School programme because its speaks to true transformation among individuals and makes a meaningful impact to our society,” says Makgalemane.
The programme has consistently had a 100% pass rate in the past 25 years. Previous participants have become actuaries, accountants, doctors, microbiologists, engineers, entrepreneurs and ICT professionals, some of whom have joined Dimension Data.
Should you require more information on the Dimension Data Saturday School programme, please contact Shakes Makgalemane: Shakes.Makgalemane@dimensiondata.com
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Dimension Data
In Middle East and Africa, Dimension Data is a $1,3 billion African born systems integrator and managed services provider that designs, manages, and optimises today’s evolving technology environments to enable its clients to leverage data in a digital age.
Founded in 1983, and headquartered in Johannesburg, we are a proud member of the NTT Group, one of the world’s leading information communication technology (ICT) companies, comprising a group of global technology companies.
Employing over 15 000 employees across 15 countries, we invest heavily in innovation to bring together the world’s best technologies, from consulting, technical and support services to a fully managed service, to our global client base.
From 1 July 2019, Dimension Data’s global business is now fully integrated with NTT Communications, NTT Security and 25 other companies to form a new global operating company, branded NTT. In Middle East and Africa, Dimension Data remains an independently branded affiliate of the NTT Group and retains the Dimension Data brand.