ABERDEEN NEWS - Thanks to the initiative of teachers Christo Frazenburg and Henry Mintoor, Luxolo Intermediate School in Aberdeen has been a beneficiary of Vodacom's programme to provide computers to rural schools.

The school was given 21 laptops for its computer centre - one for the teacher, and 20 for learners.

Mintoor volunteered to work, without pay, with the learners.

As most of the classes have 40 or more learners, a programme will be run in the afternoons, for learners from grades 7 to 9 to work on the laptops in small groups. Mintoor started by teaching the learners basic computer theory, and they are currently working on creating Word documents.

Luxolo is the first Aberdeen school to boast such a facility.

"We are helping our learners embrace the fourth industrial revolution of technology," explained Frazenburg. "If we don't do this, the school and the learners will be left behind," added Mintoor.

Luxolo Intermediate School learners are proud of their new laptops.

Several of the children do have access to a laptop at home, but most admitted to only using them for games or the internet.

Grade 7 learner Owam Dumakude shared her excitement and interest in the course.

"Today, we are learning to underline words and change the colour," she said. "I didn't know how to type and do this before we started the lessons."

The children are working towards a qualification accredited by Umalusi, and have to complete a portfolio of work and write exams.

The Rupert Foundation has agreed to provide internet connectivity for the school, which will enable the learners and teachers to make even better use of the facility.

Principal Jan Mathiale added that the school has applied to Vodacom again, in the hope of receiving more laptops so that each child in the class can work individually.

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