The Open Learning Systems Education Trust (Olset) received a double boost for its ground-breaking initiative of using radio as a tool to support teachers and promote multilingualism in classrooms.
Its interactive radio-learning series English in Action is broadcast to schools through the SABC’s regional radio stations.
The first boost came from the Royal Netherlands embassy, which donated R40-million to Olset ‘for its significant contribution to primary education in South Africa”. Last month, the embassy’s deputy ambassador in South Africa, Geeskelien Wolter, presented the grant during a ceremony held at Impala Crescent Primary School in Lenasia, south of Gauteng.
The second shot in the arm was a nod of approval from the national Department of Education.
Gordon Naidoo, Olset’s executive director, said there was collaboration between Olset and the education authorities mainly at the level of provincial district offices, but to receive the backing of the national department represented a significant positive development. ‘We are extremely pleased with the endorsement as it now gives us a direct line of communication with Department of Education. We now have a much closer working relationship with them,” said Naidoo.
The department’s official support for the trust’s programme can also be seen against the backdrop of Education Minister Naledi Pandor’s focus on multilingualism.
In his address at the event, Deputy Minister of Education Enver Surty acknowledged the work that Olset was doing. He expressed his appreciation for Olset’s ‘in-service teacher development and support to foundation phase and the promotion of multilingualism through the English in Action series”.
Naidoo said that since 1992, the radio learning programme has bene-fited 52 000 teachers and 1,8-million learners. He said they have received enquiries on the programme from as far as Southern Sudan, Malawi, Nigeria and Bangladesh.