Nine Schools Boosted by ISPA Teacher Training

13 June 2011

Nine schools in the North West province have become the latest recipients to benefit from the ‘Train the Teacher’ initiative. The schools include Klerksdorp Secondary School, Mofatlhosi Secondary School, Potchefstroom Secondary School, Promosa Primary School, Promosa Secondary School, Phiri Secondary School, Bolopapelo, Mmokeng Secondary School and Matlhaleng Secondary School.

To date, more than 2000 teachers countrywide have received ICT skills training through this programme.

Through the ‘Train the Teacher’, the Internet Service Providers’ Association of South Africa (ISPA), UniForum SA, Avuxeni Computer Academy and SchoolNet are working to help teachers – and particularly in under-resourced and rural areas – to improve their computer skills.

The courses aimed to equip the teachers with practical computer skills so that they can use technology to produce learning materials, subject plans, assessments and marks records as well as to complete administrative tasks more efficiently. In addition, more advanced teachers are receiving training in project-based use of the computer for classroom teaching.

ISPA is a non-profit South African Internet industry body. Recognising the growing need for computer skills training in previously disadvantaged communities, ISPA established the “Train the Teachers” Project in December 2001.

Said Chairperson, ISPA Teacher Training Working Group, Fiona Wallace: “Every teacher needs access to thorough, practical training in the use of computers for teaching if they are to help schoolchildren prepare to take their rightful place in a connected world. Technology is a valuable teaching aid and also helps teachers to do admin more efficiently so they have more time to focus on teaching.”

Theo Kramer, chair of the UniForum SA Board, added: “We believe that this intervention makes a valuable contribution to closing the gap between rich and poor schools in our country. What’s more, teachers usually pass their ICT skills on to their pupils and other members of the community when they emerge from the programme. ‘Train the Teacher’ is helping to seed computer literacy in many poor communities as a result. ”

“Without a doubt the teachers who have the opportunity to attend these workshops have benefitted massively from the training programme and have returned to their schools with practical skills that benefit their day-to-day teaching”, concludes Wallace.