Samsung Electronics South Africa, handed over a Smart School to the Mabake Secondary School in Rathoke, Limpopo earlier this week.
The ceremony was attended by Mayor Councillor, Mashimole Yvonne Mmakola; Circuit
Manager at the Department of Education, Ms Charity Nokuhula Mtsweni; and Head of
Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics South Africa, Mr Pitso Kekana.
This initiative is the realisation of a partnership between Samsung and the
Amandebele-A-Moletlane Traditional Council to give disadvantaged communities access
to an interactive learning environment, aimed at enhancing the quality of education
and alleviating the challenges that face communities like Rathoke.
The Samsung Smart School Solution enables learners and teachers to benefit from a
broad range of educational related information on mobile devices. The solution
consists of the latest software, real-time content sharing features and an
opportunity for interactive engagement for both teachers and students. This allows
teachers to keep track of a wide variety of information on the learners’ screens. By
making use of this technology, each child is able to refer to the same data that is
being communicated by the teacher or other learners. This helps to limit distraction
by irrelevant material, helps to assist with providing higher learning retention, as
well as create a more stimulating academic environment.
Mabake Secondary School is a quintile 2 school, based in a disadvantaged rural
community with little communication with the surrounding villages. Many of the
learners are orphans, some with single parents and some with parents who work in
neighboring provinces, leaving the children with a great amount of responsibility
upon themselves.
Mr Themane, Principal at Mabake Secondary School: “Even though the school is faced
with a number of serious issues, all efforts are made by educators to minimise these
problems.” He goes on to say, “We, are very humbled and honoured to receive this
level of technology from the Samsung Smart School Solution, which will help to
assist these young learners with the resources required to upskill their level of
education and provide them with an opportunity to succeed, despite their
overwhelming circumstances.”
“Samsung supports education by contributing innovative technology that allows
teachers to have access to quality resources and gives learners the confidence they
need to believe in themselves and aspire to meaningfully contribute to their
communities. To date, Samsung has donated five Smart Schools and 15 Solar Powered
Internet Schools across the country,” concludes Kekana.
