Submitted by Janet Thomson CEO of SchoolNet
Thembelihle Primary School is a small school, recently established by the Methodist Church in Howick for the benefit of learners from severely disadvantaged backgrounds. The school has expanded gradually from just being a play school and with the help of some overseas funding has built additional classroom and employed new teachers. It is now in the process of registering as an independent school with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education. The majority of learners receive sponsorship of their school fees; otherwise they would not be able to attend any school.

In an attempt to foster innovation and excellence in teaching the school intends to equip the teachers with laptops and data projectors. The aim of this intervention is not only to provide technology and skills for teachers but also to allow teachers to access valuable lesson resources and to enhance their teaching in the classroom.

Learners at Thembelihle School

Starting in the 2013 second term Hlengiwe Mfeka from SchoolNet South Africa will conduct professional development training for all the teachers that will be sponsored by Intel. Teachers will study the Intel Teach Getting Started course initially and then progress to the Intel Teach Elements courses for project based approaches.