Nelspruit - Fifteen more schools in Mpumalanga are to benefit from an initiative enabling children from different schools to be taught maths and science at the same time.
Through video conferencing technology and the use of interactive whiteboards, the initiative of the Ligbron Academy of Technology in Ermelo has already linked three schools in 2008.
"The Ligbron e-Learning project allows for the sharing of SMART interactive educational technology between five schools in the region. Expansion to a further 15 schools also being planned," said Frans Kalp, technology teacher and project manager.
Mr Kalp said the programme was piloted at Camden Combined School and Umzimvelo School outside Ermelo as well as Ermelo Combined School which is in the city.
He said the schools wirelessly connect to conferencing software to share their lessons with the Ligbron academy, which has 920 pupils.
The Ligbron e-Learning Project is the first of its kind in South Africa, according to Mr Kalp.
"With the blessing of the Mpumalanga Department of Education, Ligbron started sharing mathematics, mathematics literacy and science lessons with the first three schools within a 50 kilometre radius of Ligbron," he said.
E-learning is possible through the connection of SMART interactive whiteboards, with each having an LCD screen with a digital camera connected to the computer showing the image of teachers from linked schools.
Mr Kalp has facilitated the training of teachers in computer literacy, teaching them how to use the SMART interactive whiteboards and educational software.
He said healthy competition had developed among pupils, with some rushing to the front of class to work on the whiteboard at the same time as pupils from other schools.
This also taught pupils to be open and confident in their lessons. "An added advantage of the Bridgit-based approach for the rural schools is that pupils can ask questions of more than one teacher. This enriches their learning experience," he said.
Department coordinator for the Ligbron e-Learning Project, Dr Harduza Martiz, said rural pupils have greatly benefited from the project.
"The project has proven most successful in bridging the urban-rural digital divide and a positive attitude has been created.
"Being able to share quality teaching among the geographically dispersed classrooms has had a marked improvement in the quality of lesson content and teaching methodology," he said.
Departmental spokesperson Jasper Zwane said the 15 schools would be introduced before the end of the 2009/10 financial year.
"Funding for the expansion is through a public participation process where the department matches, on a rand to rand basis, contributions from the private sector," Mr Zwane said.
He said the fund was put under the management of the Mpumalanga Education Development Fund
