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St Mary Primary
Situated in Gardens in the Cape Town CBD, St Mary’s Primary is the oldest Catholic school in Southern Africa. The school was started by Sister Dymna Kinsella and six other Dominican nuns at Bishop Grimley’s request in 1860. St Mary’s Primary caters to learners from diverse cultural backgrounds and across the socio-economic spectrum. Learners hail from the surrounding areas, from informal settlements, from Nazareth House (a home for children affected by HIV/AIDS) and a large number of refugees from different African countries. Until their inclusion in the Khanya Project in 2010, St Mary’s Primary had not been able to introduce technology to their learners in any significant way. This has impacted on the learners’ ability to get the most out of their learning as many of their parents work in the city centre, spending lots of time traveling to and from work and do not have the time to help their children with research assignments or guide them with homework. With access to technology in a Khanya laboratory, learners will now have this opportunity at school. The technology that will be available in the Khanya computer laboratory will help St Mary’s to develop highly prized computer literacy skills in both educators and learners. This will be a real boon to learners who see the way technology dominates all aspects of life in the 21st century – their lack of skills has excluded them from participating in this world. Educators, parents, learners and the School Governing Body are very excited about the work the Khanya Project is doing at St Mary’s as technology will add a new dimension to learning and teaching at the school. Parents see the introduction of technology as a major step forward for their children whose skills will be brought into line with 21st century demands and practices while simultaneously addressing shortcomings in literacy and numeracy levels. Educators realize that technology will enable them to work more efficiently. Although there is still a long road ahead until the provision of the relevant infrastructure and training can take place, the wheels have started turning and a sense of excitement can be observed amongst the various role players. Considering the empowering experiences that other Khanya partner schools enjoy, St Mary’s Primary stands to reap the rewards of patience as they stand on the threshold of the world of information accessed through Information and Communications Technology.
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