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Herbertsdale Laerskool
Serving the very poor community of the rural town of Herbertsdale, this school was previously a Model C school but now has been accorded “No school fee” status. Most of the learners come from the local farms and Buisplaas, a small rural community outside Herbertsdale and 98 percent of the learners’ parents are either farm labourers or work in the aloe industry. With only three computers at the school, and these reserved for administrative purposes, learners and educators were in the unenviable position of living in a world driven by technology and yet not having the opportunity to develop the skills that would enable them to participate in this world. Herbertsdale Primary joined the Khanya Project in 2007 and this has heralded the arrival of a new world for the learners of Herbertsdale Primary who are now being exposed to the technology, they have the opportunity to complete tasks on the computers and they are being trained in computer literacy. All of this will hopefully enable them to compete for better careers in the future. The school community lost no time in ensuring that the infrastructure for their laboratory went up in record time and educators and learners watched in excitement as technology was installed. With weekly training sessions that cover both computer literacy and the use of the educational software for curriculum delivery, educators are finding it a pleasure to teach in the laboratory. They have found their learners to be very responsive in this interactive environment and keen to learn. Educators are a match for the enthusiasm of their learners and their determination to be fully equipped to assist their learners in the laboratory finds some of them attending extra training sessions over weekends. Learners from grade R to grade 7 are fortunate in having daily access to the laboratory. With the educational software learners with special learning requirements are achieving a measure of success never before experienced and great progress is being made. Each small success breeds greater confidence in their own skills and in the technology and this gives them the confidence to attempt increasingly difficult tasks successfully. A fear for this economically repressed community is the future sustainability of their laboratory. With no businesses in the area that can support the school financially and their very impoverished parent body, the school is reliant on the Department of Education. This said, however, they intend to offer computer literacy classes to the community once educators feel confident enough with the technology and in this way they hope to meet some of the financial demands that will threaten the future of their laboratory. What Herbertsdale Primary may be short on in terms of material wealth, they certainly make up for in conviction and determination to skill their learners to become contributing members of a future society. With their Khanya laboratory and the support and guidance of the Khanya team, they are more convinced than ever that this goal is attainable.
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