ORT SA takes coding and robotics to the kasi
ORT SA hosted a Coding and Robotics event, for primary and secondary school learners, at Stable Inn on Thursday.
Lerato Phadime, Grade 10 learner from Unity Secondary School, admits that the terms coding and robotics were alien to her before ORT SA brought the STEM project to her school.
This was part of her opening remarks as programme director of the ORT Coding and Robotics event at Stable Inn on Thursday.
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“An ICT Africa survey of 2019 showed that there is still a chronic shortage of information and communications technology skills in South Africa.
In fact, some 50 000 IT professionals are needed in the workforce today,” says Ariellah Rosenberg, CEO of ORT SA.
“What needs to be done to fill this gap?
How can we master and lead the fourth industrial revolution?”
She adds that the programme maximises female participation in township schools, and gives young girls more career perspectives.
ORT SA, with funding from Nedbank, runs coding and robotics classes in 50 schools with 170 teachers around the country.
Unity Secondary School, in Daveyton, is one of the programme’s beneficiaries.
Principal James Makhubu, of Unity, says the school is very grateful to ORT SA and Nedbank.
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“We have to respond to the pressures of the fourth industrial revolution by equipping our children with innovation.
“We are in a new era and the children understand that their lives are made better by technology.
“This programme has revived the excitement among the learners.
“We do not even have to convince them to come to school anymore.”
He believes that the coding and robotics classes have also cultivated a culture of not giving up on the learners.
“When they create something, and it does not work, they start again.
They kept trying until they figured out a winning formula.”
Boniswa Nhlangothi, principal of Ntsikana Primary School, shared the same sentiments.
“Educators that are involved in the programme are learning as much as the children.
“What I appreciate the most is that learners see the value of collaboration and team work,” she adds.
The event gave learners the opportunity to present their creations with the hope of moving to the next stage of the competition.
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