The township school who received new computers for their Langa learners is a secondary school which teaches around 1,600 pupils. Founded in 1988, Isilimela Secondary School focuses on maths, science, and technology for the benefit of its township community.

Challenges of a Township School: Access to Technology at Isilimela Secondary School in Langa

What We Found

Although Isilimela is a maths, science, and technology-focused school they could not offer Computer Applications Technology (CAT) subjects for their learners. There was no available funding for infrastructure despite their wishes and hopes. Without assistance, learners from a community with a forty-eight percent unemployment rate would not have exposure to CAT. From poor infrastructure set-up and many social ills, the school suffers from poorly trained educators and learners. The need for technological education is crucial in today’s fourth industrial revolution.

What We Did

Despite the dire circumstances, Isilimela’s educators and students strive for success. This dedication was one of the reasons our Foundation was approached to partner with Isilimela Secondary by the Education Department. They requested we renovate and fully equip a new computer centre for the school. Our Foundation fulfilled the need for infrastructure and provided a brand new computer centre filled with a smartboard, a projector, a teacher’s desk, and 31 computers. We began the project work in June and officially opened it with various representatives in August 2019. Thanks to their ongoing assistance, Isilimela was funded by private partnerships and will affect hundreds of students from Langa.

The Result

As students pass in and out of Isilimela Secondary School, they will have the opportunity to learn CAT subjects and be equipped with computer literacy for tertiary education and employment. Our Foundation collects updates from the schools we work with, and in the same way, we will receive data from Isilimela Secondary. This information will help us to see the success of our STEM project. Learners’ levels of computer literacy, dropout rates, pass rates, and subject grades will indicate the impact of the new computer centre.

New Computer Center at Isilimela Secondary School