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The transformation of South Africa’s education system requires a sustained focus on the quality of teachers and principals in order to produce quality students, says Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“Teachers are not the problem. Teachers are the solution to many of our problems,” said Deputy President Ramaphosa on Friday.

He was speaking at the St John’s College funding raising gala dinner in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The school is celebrating 135 years of educational excellence this year.

The Deputy President said the National Development Plan emphasises on the need to improve the quality of teacher training and recruitment.

The NDP identifies ways to empower teachers already in service by improving their knowledge of the subjects they teach, providing training in effective teaching methods, and addressing their working conditions and remuneration.

Deputy President Ramaphosa said there is a need to restore the status of teachers in communities.

“Teaching needs to once again become the favoured profession of capable, dedicated and ambitious young South Africans. In teaching, they need to find fulfilment, opportunity and relevance,” he said.

However, teachers need to lead this effort, according to the Deputy President.

“Teachers themselves need to earn respect. They need to desist from activities that bring their profession into disrepute.”

Through their actions, said Deputy President Ramaphosa, teachers need to restore the integrity and moral standing of the important positions they occupy.

“They should seek to benchmark their performance against the performance of the most outstanding among them.”

Deputy President Ramaphosa said South Africa needs educated citizens, who can compete in a globalised world.

“We need to build a capable generation that is armed with the knowledge, skills, cognitive ability and drive to elevate our productivity and improve our competitiveness. We need a generation that is equipped to build a better society characterised by respect, generosity and integrity.”

This is a responsibility that falls on the entire country, from government to business, labour, educators, learners, parents and communities, he said.

“A school is not built with bricks and cement alone. A school is built with people. It should be a dynamic environment that allows for the contribution of communities, parents, learners and business,” he said.

The Deputy President also applauded St John’s College for producing high calibre professionals, which is living proof that schools can achieve when all stakeholders work together for education.

Former President Thabo Mbeki, Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle and former head of the National Prosecuting Authority Vusi Pikoli and current Auditor General Kimi Makwetu are part of the school's alumni.

The college was established in 1879 by Bishop Henry Callaway. – SAnews.gov.za

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From traditional teaching and learning methods to high-tech tablet e-learning, learners at Masibambane Junior Primary School, in Orange Farm, are to become technologically savvy.

Through the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme, learning and teaching is set to become more exciting, thanks to a donation of 250 tablets by MoneyGram.

The handover event, on Wednesday, recognised and celebrated the Masibambane students as the first South African recipients of the OLPC’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Learning Environment program.

The MoneyGram Foundation’s grant facilitates the initiation of the OLPC pilot program and provides access to technology to the Masibambane School as a way to support and supplement its existing curriculum.

This XO tablet-based program is intended to combat social exclusion and to encourage individual empowerment amongst student users.

"The MoneyGram Foundation is a strong advocate for education worldwide and focuses on high-impact initiatives such as this one,” said Anton Luttig, Regional Director for South and East Africa at MoneyGram.

“We were especially intrigued and excited by the idea that each one of the 250 tablets distributed here today will be used and reused by so many deserving students, maximizing the reach and impact of the donation," he said.

The XO tablet that the OLPC Masibambane Learning Environment program is centred on was developed by America's prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and features a 7.5-inch optical multi-touch display screen.

It is loaded with an array of e-learning software that both enables and tracks each child's educational progress.

"The fact that Masibambane itself developed an overarching ICT development plan for learners and teachers is a key reason why we were attracted to this particular school,” said Mark Kaplan, Executive Chairman of OLPC South Africa Foundation.

“As of now, only a little over 6 000 of South Africa’s more than 25 000 schools are ICT-enabled. If we are to conquer South Africa’s growing digital divide, it is vital that more South African schools and their surrounding communities develop similar ICT educational plans and partner with sponsors like the MoneyGram Foundation and OPLC to bring that plan into action,” he said.

Along with Luttig and Kaplan, other attendees of the Masibambane donation event included Gabriel Wilson, Senior Marketing Manager of South and East Africa at MoneyGram, Peter Mureu, Marketing Manager of South and East Africa, and other representatives of MoneyGram International and OLPC organisations – along with members of the local community, the Department of Basic Education, and Technical Advisor Pendula ICT.

OPLC is the world’s foremost non-profit organisation dedicated to offering children in developing countries access to affordable laptops and tablets.

OLPC strives to provide children worldwide with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, Linux-based, connected XO laptops.

It has designed hardware, content and software for collaborative and self-empowered learning. The laptops have wireless broadband so each laptop can talk to its nearest neighbours, creating a local area network for students and their teachers. – SAnews.gov.za

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The City of Tshwane and the Innovation Hub have partnered to launch initiatives which will bring science, technology, engineering and mathematics closer to the youth, especially those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.

The youth initiatives are aimed at addressing the shortage of skills in the city and the inaccessibility to facilities that allow youth to engage and explore.

These youth initiatives offer a practical solution, as entrepreneurial mentorship and workshops are offered, to guide them on the process of commercialising an innovation.

A Fab Lab, which is an abbreviation for fabrication laboratory, is a miniature factory for digital fabrication where prototypes can be created and will be launched on Monday.

The Fab Lab will be strategically located at The Innovation Hub as it is the first accredited science and technology park in Africa.

Kusile Mobile Science Labs will be distributed at various local disadvantaged schools throughout the week from 23 June.

The mobile science labs, which were designed and manufactured by local entrepreneurs from Kusile Labs & Technology, are a cost-effective solution to the inadequate science laboratories available in primary and secondary schools.

eKasi Labs will be launched on Friday at the GaRankuwa Arts & Crafts Centre. This is an area that can be easily accessed by the broader community where young people will create tangible solutions that address their community’s problems.

Tshwane Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said the city was progressive and working towards igniting excellence.

“We owe it to the youth of 1976 to initiate programs that would liberate today’s youth from socio-economic segregation. I am glad that the introduction of the FabLab and eKasi Labs will be the entry point into the exciting world of entrepreneurship, mathematics and science” said Mayor Ramokgopa.

McLean Sibanda, CEO of The Innovation Hub , said one of the challenges faced by young people and budding entrepreneurs wanting to utilise facilities and services available at The Innovation Hub is access to services as it is located in an area that is relatively inaccessible owing to the distance travelled as well as cost of transportation.

“This partnership was conceptualised from a strategic decision to take innovation to the people by establishing co-creation spaces that will foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurial activities that better the lives of the community and create wealth”.

For more information visit theinnovationhub.com.

This comes as South Africa commemorates Youth Month. The 2014 Youth Month programme will facilitate conversations with the youth on the achievements and progress made in youth development over the past 20 years as well as the challenges that still exist. – SAnews.gov.za