Education non-profit Good Work Foundation (GWF) is expanding its Open Learning Academy, to offer the programme to Mpumalanga high school learners in grades eight and nine.
The Open Learning Academy connects with a network of 29 rural schools, offering robotics and coding learning to primary school students in Mpumalanga and the Free State.
According to a statement, the robotics and coding curriculum was previously limited to primary schools, and the extension to high school learners is a natural progression of GWF’s mission to close the educational gap between rural and urban areas.
“If we only teach coding in primary school and then leave these pupils unsupported in high school, it's easier for them to forget what they’ve learned. That's why we continue supporting them into high school,” says Anorld Mdhluli, manager of the Open Learning Academy.
GWF’s coding and robotics programme provides hands-on learning experiences that enable students to build, code and test their own projects. By introducing robotics and programming tools, such as Scratch 3.0 and the Dash and Dot robots, GWF says it is equipping students with thinking and problem-solving skills that are essential in an unpredictable world that is constantly being reshaped by rapidly-evolving technologies.
The syllabus also includes subjects such as literacy, numeracy, digital skills, conservation, creative arts and citizenship.
Launching the expanded programme at GWF’s Justicia Digital Learning Campus was a strategic decision, adds Mdhluli.
“With the Justicia campus situated right next to Madlala High School, it’s easy to reach those learners, and with the capacity we have here, we can easily accommodate the grade eight and nine pupils.”
Justicia is one of six GWF campuses across SA, and the plan is to eventually roll out the high school robotics and coding programme to sites across other provinces.
“For our campus, having the programme piloted here in our village is a huge honour,” says Jane Ngwenyama, Justicia Digital Learning Campus manager. “It means our students will help shape the model, which will not only have a role in transforming education, but will also cultivate skills that will benefit our communities in the future.”
As GWF continues expanding its Open Learning Academy offering to more high school learners over the next three years, this growth will support the Department of Basic Education’s deployment of the coding and robotics curriculum in public schools, it says.
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