The Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) has raised almost R150 000 for teacher IT training at the recent Super Teacher Gala Dinner, hosted by ISPA and the CoZa Cares Foundation.
“The ongoing generosity of Internet industry stakeholders means that over 50 additional educators will be trained to use and impart IT skills during their teaching at some of South Africa’s most resource-strapped schools,” says Fiona Wallace, chair of the Association’s Teacher Training Working Group. “So far, 3 105 teachers have participated in ISPA’s Train the Teacher project over the past 12 years.”
The ISPA Super Teacher Gala Dinner saw Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba of Ngwanamago Primary in Limpopo being presented with the 2013 ISPA Super Teacher of the Year award. Machaba received her award from the previous year’s winner, Sadike Welhemina Kekana of Toronto Primary School in Limpopo.
The ISPA Teachers Training programme began in 2001 and sees ISPA facilitating several weeks of computer and Internet literacy skills training for school teachers in rural schools. Hundreds of teachers benefit from this programme and gain critical skills that they pass on to their students and their communities.
The following companies have sponsored the ISPA Teachers Training programme 2013 for 2014; CozaCares, Avuxeni, SMS Web, Internet Solutions, Breadbin, ZA Central Registry, DNS, Liquid telecom, JIREH Technologies, Switch Telecom, TAU, Flame, TENET and Hetzner.
CoZa Cares Foundation, previously the CSI arm of UniForum/ZACR, will integrate the ISPA training into its all-encompassing ICT Capacity Building programme in under-resourced South African schools.