Unisa literacy project empowers north communities
Unisa students will also benefit from the project.
The University of South Africa (Unisa) has partnered with the Gauteng Department of Education on a school literacy project with the potential to transform the lives of the Soshanguve and Hammanskraal communities.
Unisa, together with the College of Education (CEDU), recently visited the department at the Soshanguve Teacher Centre to establish collaboration on the project.
Spokesperson Maphoshane Marodi said the project’s objectives are to:
– train educators in the strategies for teaching learners how to read for meaning.
– impart social media literacy skills to both educators and learners, facilitated by the Communication and Marketing Unit.
– equip educators with digital literacy skills, facilitated by the Technology Enhanced Learning Unit.
“This project will also benefit students studying through Unisa and residing within these communities.”
Marodi said local department director Dr Musa Hlongwane expressed her appreciation for the invitation to the inaugural meeting on the project. He added it would advance education and strengthen partnerships for the benefit of the community.
She added that the department is developing a school subject relating to robotics and coding and would like to see it included in the project.
Project leader and head of Facilitation of Learning in the Gauteng region Dr Smangele Ntuli expressed the hope that the project would be expanded to include other entities, such as the Counselling and Career Development Directorate, to help overcome social ills in the communities.
Asked what the takeaway from this project will be for Unisa, Ntuli said the project is part of holistic engaged scholarship at the university.
Ntuli added that a research article is envisaged since the work is expected to generate new knowledge and improve communities through the introduction of new skills.
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