Duduza – Emzimkhulu Primary School is a pilot primary school in Duduza that offers coding and robotics – the study of using electronics, mechanics and coding to program robots to do a particular job.
The programme was offered to Grade Five learners encouraging innovative thinking and analytics skills. English teacher and robotics facilitator Vinoliah Sefoka, said coding and robotics teach problem-solving skills and creative thinking.
“Our learners are privileged to have such a programme. They are exposed to technology and an advanced programme which fosters teamwork and critical thinking skills,’ she said.
Sefoka said learners created three projects to compete with at the ORT SA coding programme completion which their double-road safety bridge yielded a win for the school and gained the champion title in the Gauteng East district. The learners had to get solutions to real-life situations through their coding and robotic skills.
They invented three projects:
• A smart alarm system. Because of theft and criminal activities experienced in the area, learners realised there was a need for a smart alarm in the township to prevent criminal activities.
• A firefighting truck. This truck senses fire and smoke and responds by eliminating the fire.
• The winner, the double road safety bridge, eliminated flooding in areas that lack good infrastructure.
“The idea came when the leaners thought of all the flooding conditions encountered in other areas and provinces after rainy days. They developed a bridge that would have two layers. Should the water reach the first layer, another bridge would open above the flooded one to prevent people from drowning.
ALSO CHECK: Santa Shoebox project delivers smiles to Tsimong Primary School learners
“The bridge project won us an award at the competition as the learners’ resolution to this real-life problem amazed the judges. Their presentation mentioned as many examples as possible and highlighted the possible prevention methods, should the bridge be implemented in real life,” added Sefoka.
The competition awarded all the coding and robotic Grade Five learners with certificates and medals of recognition for their hard work.
The school received a trophy. Emzimkhulu Primary School also offers information and communication technology (ICT) classes.
The ICT facilitator, Itumeleng Ngwenya, said the ICT lab serves as a platform that helps learners with foundational literacy through using online programmes.
“The school partnered with Click Foundation to make this lab possible and offers three programmes, which focus on helping learners read with understanding. The programme teaches phonics from grades R to three. The school currently focuses on grades R to five with literacy programmes and plans to introduce a numeracy programme in the following year,” she added.
School principal, Thembekile Sikhonde, said, “I am happy the province and district chose our school to offer coding and robotics.
“We are the only school that offers this programme in Duduza. The programme helps to foster teamwork among the learners and encourages staff members to work collaboratively.
“The learners enjoy coding and robotics. On the day of attendance, no learner goes absent. Emzimkhulu Primary School is an isiZulu-speaking school and plans to start a seSotho class to cater for seSotho-speaking learners in the area.
“I encourage parents to enrol their children into our school next year,” she said.
She added the school excels in sports- netball, soccer for girls and boys, cricket and hockey.
She also thanked the teachers at the school, mentioning they were doing an incredible job daily.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
