Natural Triumph, a business that focuses on trying to make maths and science less challenging for South African high school learners, is implementing an e-learning project in 18 schools in the Eastern Cape.
The schools, around King Williamstown and Bisho, receive electronic tablets with the entire maths and science curriculum uploaded to them, as well as lesson plans and exercises. This allows teachers to conduct lessons electronically, and for learners to do extra lessons on their own.
The project covers grades eight to 12.
"We believe Natural Triumph is a catalyst for change by empowering both teachers and learners as they prepare for the classroom of the future," says MD Brendan Barnes.
He says the company aims to "enhance the integration of ICT in classrooms and improve mathematical performance in schools. Technology offers us an opportunity to be creative and innovative as a business seeking to make a change. Learners need digital wisdom in a new age of thinking, in a new world of imagination."
The project has been trialled on a smaller scale before. Phelokazi Nguqa, a learner who participated last year, said it helped improve her maths and science marks to get into the University of Cape Town to study medicine.
She said her marks went from 76% and 65%, to 86% and 92% respectively.
There have been a number of efforts by provincial governments to get electronic tablets to learners in high schools to encourage digital literacy.
In January, communications minister Faith Muthambi visited Limpopo to hand out tablet devices to the best performing schools in the province. Earlier this year, the Gauteng education department said all grade 12s in the province would receive a tablet this year.
Natural Triumph is a beneficiary of the Innovator Trust enterprise development programme, formed to grow small black-owned businesses in the ICT sector.
Barnes says being part of the initiative helped the company realise its vision. "We are placed in a position where we can make a quantifiable and significant impact on the lives of young people."
Tashline Jooste, Innovator Trust CEO, says: "Making a sustainable difference in the operations of small businesses resides at the core of our philosophy and we are encouraged by the amazing work being accomplished by Natural Triumph."
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