The Snapplify Foundation is joining forces with d6, South Africa’s leading online school management platform, to provide digital tools, content and training to the Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT) – a model, no-fee government high school in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.
In line with its commitment to increase access to education in disadvantaged communities, the Snapplify Foundation will set up a digital library for the school, providing students and staff with 24/7 access to over 50 000 free ebooks. Going forward, the foundation will work with Snapplify and publishing partners to supply additional library content that supports teacher and student requirements.
The Snapplify Foundation will also provide free training to teachers on using the Engage e-learning platform which, in addition to the e-library, comes with the ability to share multimedia resources with students, helping to improve engagement and understanding as the curriculum is brought to life. In addition, COSAT teachers will be registered for Teacha! Benefits, a programme that provides educators with free and discounted teaching resources.
For 2021, d6 will be donating online training for the school’s staff. Diving into the details of the platform’s functionality, the training will empower school staff and management to make full use of the software.
COSAT principal, Phadiela Cooper shares: ‘We’ve been using d6 since 2016 to do our learner academic reports, attendance registers, learner profiles and finances. Being able to upskill our staff so that they can use d6 and Snapplify effectively is going to make a real difference – and getting an e-learning platform and e-library with thousands of wonderful books is any educator’s dream.’
‘From allowing teachers to focus on teaching, to enabling accountability and facilitating decision-making, our administrative tools are crucial to how schools and students perform – as is easy access to educational content. Our goals to support schools with comprehensive solutions are aligned with those of the Snapplify Foundation so we’re particularly excited about this partnership, which we know will bring technological access to schools that need it the most,’ said d6 CEO, Willem Kitshoff.
This is the first step in what will be a long working relationship between the Snapplify Foundation and d6. ‘There are a lot of schools in South Africa and only a small percentage of them can afford these products and services,’ shares Debra Ogilvie-Roodt, Head of the Snapplify Foundation. ‘Between us, we plan to use our large network of schools, as well as private sector partnerships, to drive measurable change in education – in South Africa and beyond.’
