News

Public sector strike sends students beyond the classroom to learn

27 September 2010

The three-week strike by teachers and other civil servants over pay ended three weeks ago. However, students have protested across the country, complaining they did not have enough time to prepare for exams.

An estimated 12,000 students are downloading study materials from the popular mobile phone platform and messaging service MXit to bolster their chances of graduating in a month’s time.

The initiative was devised by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, a government-backed body which carries out scientific and technological development. Students can download material from the site as well as exchange information and messages with tutors.

More than 100 Dr. Math volunteer tutors have been screened and registered to work on the project.

Brahm Fleisch, an associate professor in the division of education leadership and policy studies at Wits School of Education, said, “I can see this being a good tool for teaching but more research needs to be done to gauge its effectiveness. Other industries, like banking, have embraced the cellphone so why not education? I don’t think anything will replace the face-to-face interaction of a tutor and a student, but that’s not to say this kind of innovation cannot be utilized.”

Read the full article at the Christian Science Monitor and share your views in our Comments section below.