Paarl Boys’ Primary Launch Apple Project

The Minister of Education, Mr. Donald Grant, opened the new Apple Project on the 10 March 2010 at Paarl Boys' Primary School.  In his speech the minister emphasized the value of technology in the delivery of the curriculum and in the improvement of reading and mathematics.

Also present at the opening was Mr John Lyners ( Deputy Director- General), Mr Clifton Frolick ( Director Cape Winelands), Dr Jaap Heiberg (Chief Education Specialist), Mr Kobus van Wyk (Khanya Programme Manager) and Mr Oliver Graff from Apple.

Mr van Wyk complimented the school on its tenacity – desperately keen to introduce technology, they did not wait around for a hand out;  instead they actively pursued the realisation of their dream.  After the opening ceremony, Mr van Wyk handed over the prizes for the iLife competition in which a group of three learners from Paarl Boys’ Primary School had come second.  This was a countrywide competition for primary and high schools.

Mr. Henk Arangies, the principal of Paarl Boys’ Primary – who visited Edinburgh in 2009 as a guest of Apple to find out more about how the Apple can be used during the child’s school day - did a presentation on how the interactive whiteboards are used in the classroom at PSS daily to present the curriculum.

The school has an interactive whiteboard in every classroom, a fully equipped computer room and a Cami room for learner support in languages and mathematics.  The Grade 4 learners are also presently equipped with 18 Apple Mac books that are used in the classrooms for the delivery of the curriculum.

Technology has come a long way over the past thirteen years at Paarl Boys’ Primary.  Every teacher is now confidently able to take their class to the laboratory for integrated lessons and even grade three boys are able to use PowerPoint for class presentations.