Africa Drive Project – ADP www.adp.org.za
The South African Education system is currently facing a serious shortage of qualified primary and secondary school educators. This is particularly prevalent in the strategically important learning areas of science, mathematics and technology.
According to President Thabo Mbeki, “Special attention needs to be given to the compelling evidence that the country has a critical shortage of mathematics, science and language teachers and to the demands of the new information and communication technologies”.
In response to the situation, the Africa Drive Project (ADP) was born. Designed to alleviate the shortage of suitably qualified teachers in the physical science, mathematics and technology areas, the programme utilises blended learning, including e-learning, to improve the competencies of educators so that they in turn can provide students with relevant, quality education.
Initiated by the Department of Education in a Public Private Partnership with the North West University, GTZ (German Technical Co-operation), SAP Research CEC Pretoria, eDegree, North West Department of Finance and Duxbury Networking; the project will run from the ADP Project Office in Mmbatho.
Project Approach:
The Africa Drive Project is an exciting opportunity for South Africa to meet the social, economic and educational challenges it is faced with.
It will introduce and test innovative new learning strategies to the education and training sector and in so doing, equip educators with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to provide learners with teaching that is relevant and up-to-date. This train-the-trainer approach will ultimately result in an increased number of science, mathematics and business and technology graduates.
The project - which will start at the North West University, Mafikeng Campus as well as at eight learning centres in the North West Province - will draw from international developments and experiences in the areas of e-learning and a blended approach using classroom, workshop, practical and e-learning as opposed to the more traditional approach - will be utilised.
This vital programme is structured in such a way that it will empower educators to play a leading role in the community - not just in terms of education, but also in terms of important social issues such as primary healthcare and the environment.
