It was a joyous occasion for learners, staff and Ncise community outside Mthatha as they witnessed the handover of a digital laboratory by mobile operator Cell C to their school, Gobizizwe Agricultural High School, today, October 13.
Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu, in his capacity as government assigned development champion for the OR Tambo District together with Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade were also present to witness the handover.
School principal Thulethu Mbixane said the digital lab will make it easy for learners to access information to the internet and ease teaching and learning at the rural school.
“Learners at the school mostly come from destitute families and others from child headed households which meant that they do not have the means to buy mobile data and smartphones to access the internet. The digital lab by Cell C will bridge the digital gap between our learners and those in technologically advanced schools as the computers and the lab will have wireless internet connection,” Mbixane said.
Cell C managing executive for government relations Joshua Moela said the handover of the digital lab is meant to close the digital gap between the schools in more developed urban centres and those in far flung rural areas.
“This is us, Cell C, as a corporate citizen trying to close the gap between the more developed urban centres where most school children have access to ICTs and those in more disadvantaged communities and far-flung rural communities so that they are not left behind as we go into the fourth industrial revolution that is much talked about,” Moela said.
