Alexandra’s world-class school Kgololo Academy adapts to remain relevant
ALEX – Kgololo Academy has had to adapt its learning systems under Covid-19 in order to remain relevant.
The outbreak of the Covid-19 global pandemic, which turned the world upside down, has forced various corporations and institutions to adapt their systems in order to remain relevant.
One of the institutions of learning that have been forced to ‘adapt or die’ is Kgololo Academy which has wholeheartedly embraced the concept of e-learning, especially during the country’s lockdown. This top-level private school in Alexandra was co-founded in 2015 by United States citizen Waahida Tolbert-Mbatha.
She and her Alex husband, Thulani Mbata, live in Mountain View, Orange Grove. Their son Themba, who is currently in Grade 5, has been a learner at the school since its start in 2015.
Tolbert-Mbatha explained that the school either had to adapt or die and the couple gladly embraced the new technology for their school. “We had no choice but to adapt.” The e-learning programme was introduced in May for grades R to 5.
Teachers, who all have laptops, recorded themselves teaching and sent their lessons, along with written instructions, to learners via WhatsApp.Learners, in turn, submitted their work to their respective teachers with a private WhatsApp message.
Learners without WhatsApp and data received their lessons and assignments via SMS and did the same in return.
Tolbert-Mbatha, who is the principal of the school, said 80 per cent of the learners participate in the programme. With the school re-opening on 29 June, Tolbert-Mbatha said the e-learning programmes will not cease as teachers will be required to furnish the learners with extra homework to catch up on the syllabus.
She said the re-opening of the school, which will observe all the Covid-19 protocols set out by the Department of Basic Education, will be phased, starting with the grade 1 and 5. The grades R to 2 are housed at the Entokozweni campus while the grades 3 to 5 remain at the Methodist campus.
On the impact of Covid-19 on her school, Tolbert-Mbatha said it was a challenge they had to face head-on as many of the parents were either retrenched or took a pay cut and the school too was forced to temporarily cut salaries of all staff. The school solely survives and relies on the grace of donors and parents through its Khulula Foundation. “We run a tight ship but I want to believe we’re on recovery mode as most parents are getting back to work,” she added.
