The Amrut Foundation in collaboration with industrial giant Liebherr’s Northern Cape office, initiated a tech-upskilling project at Ratang Thuto High School, located in the modest mining town of Postmasburg, approximately 2.5 hours away from Kimberley. As a Section 21 school, Ratang Thuto operates under the direction of the Department of Education and offers flexible fee options to accommodate the diverse economic backgrounds of its student body. Currently, the school educates 1400 learners.
This partnership project saw the provision of educationally secured tablets to Grade10, and Grade 11 students engaged in STEM subjects. These specialized tablets, supplied by the education-driven non-profit organization Odin Education, aredesigned to foster an immersive learning experience by exclusively featuring educational applications. The devices are configured to restrict access to non-essential applications, thereby ensuring students remain focused on their studies.
Furthermore, Odin Education has implemented a system that monitors the usage patterns of the learning applications, providing valuable feedback on the most and least utilized resources. This data is instrumental in tailoring educational content to better suit the needs of the students. Additionally, the tablets come equipped with a communication feature that allows students to seek assistance from an online support team, further enhancing their learning experience.
To ensure the effective use of this technology, Odin Education has also provided IT facilitators to guide the students in navigating these devices to maximize their educational potential. The impact of this technology extends beyond individual learning as the Amrut and Liebherr teams observed that students are utilizing these tablets to educate their siblings, amplifying the benefits within the community. The Odin team provided a comprehensive presentation of their initiatives and their expansive reach, culminating in a breakfast gathering for sponsors, educators, and students.
The passion for furthering learning on the part of the Liebherr and Amrut teams was evident when they expressed their delight upon learning about the multi-faceted use of the devices. The deputy vice-principal of Ratan Thuto High School, expressed gratitude towards the benefactors, highlighting the importance of the tablets educational configuration in maintaining student concentration and optimizing device usage.
The director of Liebherr’s Northern Cape office commended the rollout of the product and extended his appreciation to Odin Education. Echoing this sentiment, Mr. Hemang Desai, on behalf of the Amrut Foundation, conveyed his eagerness to fortify the partnership with Odin Education by expanding the tablet distribution to additional schools in the foreseeable future. He also emphasised on Amrut and Odin’s joint vision of equipping small-town schools with adequate access to technologies that
would equip them to thrive in an AI driven world.