Rural pupils catching up with ITC skills

 The Umzimvubu local municipality is equipping pupils in rural schools with the skills and resources required to meet the demands of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Since 2013, the municipality has donated computers to schools with the intention of introducing previously disadvantaged children to technology at a young age.

Municipal spokesperson Nokhanyo Zembe said some pupils in the rural areas had never used a computer in their lives.

The Umzimvubu Schools Development Programme forms part of the municipality’s ICT programme, held annually to reward schools that have performed well in their matric finals.

“The municipality has since identified two high schools and their feeder schools to benefit from the programme,” Zembe said.

In 2013, ICT was a scarce skill in Umzimvubu.

“We wanted to end the situation where our children only discovered computers when they reached tertiary level. We wanted an initiative where they could get used to computers in high school.  We are also trying to create a competition between the high schools so that they can be competitive and want to excel.” 

Pupils wanted to learn to use gadgets and technology to attain knowledge, Zembe said.

“The kids light up when they see a computer for the first time. It is an amazing feeling. These children are interested in technology, and they will go far with their education and ambitions in life.”

The programme has yielded a number of positive results, including one pupil going on to work for the municipality as an IT officer.

The programme has also been extended to lower grades.

“This is not only for grade 12. Between 2013 and 2018 we only offered the programme to high school learners, but after 2018 we cascaded it down to juniors.”

Covid-19, Zembe said,  had shown that ICT was very important in terms of education and communication in rural communities.

“To date, free Wi-Fi has only been in the towns, but our plan is to take it to the rural areas. It will become easier to communicate with people in these areas.” 

On Wednesday,   Jojo Senior Secondary, its feeder school Gugwini Senior Primary in EmaXesibeni, Osborne Senior Secondary and its feeder school Qumrha Senior Primary in KwaBhaca became the latest beneficiaries of the programme.

The handover of five computers to each school was attended by Umzimvubu mayor Sobane Mnukwa and council speaker  Florida Ngonyolo. 

Each school also received a printer and a  wireless router, loaded with 5GB of data for each of the next 12 months.

Jojo Senior Secondary principal Mlali Jojo could not be more pleased.

“These computers will help our students and staff access much-needed ICT facilities, especially during this Covid-19 period. Our children need capacitation as the world has now entered the 4th Industrial Revolution,” Jojo said. 

“The availability of these computers will help teachers come up with more creative ways of interacting with the students so that we achieve even better results in the coming years.”