Two Eastern Cape schools joined a virtual network of high-quality mathematics and science teaching when they were added to the highly acclaimed Ligbron e-learning system recently – thanks to the generosity of Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA).
Pupils at Jabavu and Thubalethu high schools in Alice and Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape have started training on the interactive, South African-designed system that links pupils of maths and science in selected areas around the country. They will be joining a virtual school body that is now 39 000-strong, 5 400 of whom in Grade 12. Some 31 secondary schools have been serviced from the Ligbron Academy of Technology in Ermelo since the Ligbron e-learning system (LES) was first rolled out in Mpumalanga in June 2015.
The pupils will attend virtual real-time classes, while teachers at the school will receive a full Grade 8-12 package on science and mathematics, including daily lessons, pre-recorded video lessons and questions on all topics.
The LES system remotely connects groups of students from rural areas using live streaming on a big screen. The lessons can also be saved and replayed.
Speaking after the launch, CCBSA’s Head of Community and Stakeholder Partnerships, Nolundi Mzimba, said the sponsorship of the Ligbron e-learning system provided an opportunity to improve productivity in the classroom, increase the level of teaching and learning and connect a virtual community of scholars across the country.
“We were very heartened [to be]partnered with LES on this initiative; to hear that learners gain 34.5% more knowledge after a 40-minute e-learning maths class, [and]a 19% spike in knowledge after a science class,” said Mzimba. “As a company, we have an appreciation of the challenges faced by educators and understand the Department of Education’s mandate to increase Maths and Science teaching and learning, and have committed ourselves to being part of the solution.
“CCBSA is committed to meaningfully contributing to the communities we serve through projects that support education and economic growth. We have no doubt that an initiative such as this which will dramatically assist the level of education being offered, improve the matric pass rate in these important subjects and upskill the teachers involved, is one of the greatest interventions we could have made in an area like this.”
Having seen results of this initiative in Mpumalanga, the company is hopeful that the same positive results will be realised in the Eastern Cape.
