'Mobile' school for rural pupils
Nkosana Makaula
28 July 2004
The Mbombela municipality in Mpumalanga, in association with the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation, on Tuesday launched a mobile training unit bus that has been fitted with 10 laptop computers and a plasma screen to serve learners from poorer schools in the municipal area.
Selected learners will attend lessons in the specially designed bus, which will also be used for Adult Basic Education and Training classes for the broader community, and to train municipal officials and councillors.
"Far-flung areas do not always get adequate servicing," said Mbombela mayor Isaiah Khoza.
"The fact that some of the beneficiaries will be touching a computer for the very first time, brings hope that the fires of learning will be sparked in their hearts and minds."
The project was initiated through a training agreement between the municipality and the Norwegian Association for Local Government.
It cost R600 000 and is one of eight
training projects that will be implemented in the Mbombela municipal area, which includes Nelspruit, White River, Hazyview, KaNyamazane, Matsulu and KaBokweni.
Norwegian Embassy representative, Sten Andes Berge, said the embassy had targeted the municipality to facilitate education because municipalities were the "building blocks of any society".
"These are positive undertakings and we hope this effort will lead towards the communities achieving a higher level of academic awareness," he said.
The bus was provided by bus company Buscor, which will also maintain it. In return, it will be allowed to utilise the equipment to train its own employees.
Local learning officers will be appointed to identify candidates for training - whether they are from schools, the broader community and from the municipality.
The officers will suggest venues and dates to the municipality for the training sessions.
Meanwhile, rural learners in Mpuluzi, near the Swaziland
border in Mpumalanga will get an opportunity to enhance their information technology skills when the cellular service provider MTN and the provincial government launch the school connectivity project at Mpuluzi Secondary School on Thursday.
The school will receive 10 computers to be used by learners as a commitment by the company to improve the lives of learners in rural communities.
Rudy Matjokana of MTN said the School Connectivity Project aims to improve the quality of education and increase access to information and communication technology in rural schools.
The launch will be attended by Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla and MEC for Education Siphosezwe Masango.
The school is one of the 10 that MTN has identified for the project, through which the schools also receive a copier machine, printer and a scanner.
Schools that have already benefited from the project include KaMhola at Barberton, Ithafa at Ermelo, Khutsalani at Kabokweni outside White
River, Hlanganani at Nkangala, Mandlethu at KwaMhlanga, Kgatlanong at Ehlanzeni, Bongintsimbi at Witbank and Kiri ya Tshwane at Secunda.
Matjokana said MTN had donated about R7-million to sustain the project that started in 2002, and further allocated R21-million to establish multimedia centres in 90 schools throughout the country over the last three years.
Source: BuaNews
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