Vuma together with its Internet Service Providers partners has connected over 385 Schools in order to free 1Gbps Fibre Internet, giving thousands of educators and learners access to a world of resources and opportunities.
Fibre is gradually making its way into more schools around the country as institutions expand curriculums to include e-learning initiatives and bring classrooms into the digital era. Vuma’s Fibre to Schools programme which was launched in 2015 and since then Vuma together with its partner Internet Service Providers have connected over 385 schools to free 1Gbps fibre internet, giving thousands of educators and learners access to a world of resources and opportunities.
“We are very grateful for the Vuma fibre connection to our school and have found it very useful during the lockdown as a medium of communication in order to facilitate online schooling,” says Christian Andrews, Principal at Andrews Academy in Johannesburg.
“When connectivity is poor, every aspect of running the school is affected. VOIP phones, CCTV and online operations are compromised. As parents wrestle with the notion of sending their children back to school, fibre in schools may offer alternative and innovative solutions to this problem. For instance, livestreams for the benefit of learners who choose to remain at home can be done from the classroom. Online exams “with biometric security features”, which will likely be a reality in the near future according to Principal Andrews, are a greater possibility for learners working from home with a high speed fibre connection. A fast, reliable and affordable fibre internet connection both in class and at home is crucial for facilitating online homeschooling to help minimise the impact that COVID-19 has had on the education system and ensure more streamlined, efficient and seamless learning experiences,” says Christian.
“When Vuma arrived to connect our school, we were very excited, as was the whole of the Brackenfell community,” says Wendy Horn at Protea Heights Academy.
“Having access to the internet has changed the way we do things at our school. Every classroom has Wi-Fi, every child can use the internet and we’re able to use that to really integrate what we do in the classroom with the real world. We need to teach our children how to think critically. Having access to information at their fingertips enables them to do this, by expanding their knowledge and ensuring their enquiring minds can find the answers to many questions they have about their lives, their schooling and their future,” adds Horn.
Fibre gives learners in primary and high schools the ability to access a world of information at the click, swipe or touch of a button. This is especially useful for learners wanting to conduct online research for projects and assignments, but also gives educators the resources they need to introduce and adopt e-learning systems and bring school curriculums into the digital age. As a result, learners can connect what they learn in the classroom to the world they live in.
Parents looking to upgrade to fibre for the home, as well as schools that want to find out if they qualify for a free 1Gbps fibre line, can visit www.vumatel.co.za