The third annual Resolute Roboticon inter-school coding and robotics competition has awarded the best learners who performed to their best.

The schools, from as far away as the UAE, participated in person and virtually in the third consecutive annual event that took place at Heartfelt Arena, Pretoria, on Saturday.

Resolute Education has partnered with Oxford University Press South Africa, and this ongoing collaboration stems from a shared commitment to revolutionize South Africa’s primary and secondary education system.

They aim to do this by integrating coding and robotics into school curricula, growing the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community, and preparing the nation’s youth for future jobs that have yet to be created.

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While the Department of Basic Education has mandated the integration of coding and robotics into the educational system, challenges such as resource limitations and a shortage of skilled teachers persist.

Yolandi Farham, Product Director at Oxford University Press South Africa, said Resolute Education and Oxford University Press South Africa’s partnership helps schools implement coding and robotics regardless of shortages in infrastructure and teacher skills.

She said working together has made it possible for them to apply our knowledge of localized content and teacher training and deliver on our mission to continue moving education forward.

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Rajesh Pasungili Ramakrishnan, Co-Founder and CEO of Resolute Education, said that as coding and robotics are becoming more integrated into school curricula, it is important to equip teachers to deliver the material confidently in the classroom, regardless of their school’s digital progress.

He said that it is equally important to provide learners with as many opportunities as possible to flourish in an ever-evolving technological world.

To date, 362 schools have implemented Resolute Education’s material into their school curriculum.

This year’s “City of the Future” Resolute Roboticon again brought schools together to highlight the difference advanced educational technology can make in children’s thinking process.

He said during the competition, participants engage in interdisciplinary learning, teamwork, critical thinking, and time management.

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“The event serves as a fitting addition to the final stretch of the school term, preparing participating pupils for next-gen technology as they head into their next academic year,” he said.

Ramakrishnan added the world is moving so quickly that technology has become an everyday part of our lives, making it even more important to teach kids tech skills as early as possible.

“A competition like this provides kids with the opportunity to solve the real-world problems we face today.”

Gareth Thompson, Co-Founder of Resolute Education, said they want to take what is happening in the classroom and apply it to real-world experiences outside the classroom.

“It’s amazing to see parents witness their kids interacting with, facing, and overcoming challenges during the competition,” said Thompson.

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Competition categories are mostly divided by age groups.

The Novice Emergency Responders Challenge involves children aged five to nine who design, build, and program robots to “save the day” in the City of the Future.

The Apprentice Disaster Response Challenge is for Grades four to six, where pupils work together to rescue a robot in a quake-hit city.

For the same age group, the Apprentice Innovators Challenge encourages pupils to create robotic solutions for natural disaster management. At the same time, the Advanced Innovators Challenge prompts them to develop similar solutions at a more advanced level.

Winners walked away with impressive tech prizes to help them take the next step in their coding exploration.

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