Mpho Ramogale's involvement in JET-AASA projects
Mpho Ramogale initially joined JET in 2019 as a data monitor during the first phase of the Anglo-American South Africa (AASA) Education Programme, a programme which focuses on whole school development (WSD) as well as early childhood development (ECD). In 2022, when the second phase of the programme began, Mpho was promoted to provincial coordinator. Her current role involves coordinating, supporting, monitoring and ensuring the quality of the implementation of intervention activities in schools and ECD sites in the Rustenburg (North West: Bojanala) and Amandelbult (Moses Kotane) districts.
Mpho is in the right place working at JET because she is passionate about playing a role in bringing positive change to disadvantaged communities. She says she became even more passionate during her time as a situational data analysis collector. As part of her responsibilities, Mpho conducted interviews with stakeholders such as the school management team, educators, school governing body and representative council of learners to gather information on some of the SIOC-cdt and Thabazimbi schools. She collected valuable data that revealed the challenges and successes of the schools.
Mpho’s goal in her work is to ensure that carrying out her responsibilities will lead to improved learning outcomes for students in the schools and ECD centres she coordinates. The aim is also to deliver inclusive and high-quality education, ultimately leading to a better quality of life for the communities surrounding AASA operations.
One of the notable achievements in the AASA Education programme that Mpho is proud of is the part where Laptops and Tablets were distributed to the schools. She was very involved in the process of distributing laptops and tablets to both students and educators. Teachers received their laptops, which enabled them to work more flexibly on their administrative duties as well as on their teaching and learning activities. She adds that teachers find their work easier since they no longer have to share a single laptop among six teachers. Students also benefit as they can use the laptops and tablets they receive for presentations, tutorials, homework and accessing information on the internet.
Mpho is looking forward to the new initiative known as Secondary School Curriculum Components (SSCC), which will be implemented along with Edunova and will provide academic support to Grade 11 and 12 students studying Mathematics and Physical Science. Mpho is excited about this initiative because it involves a blended approach using technology-driven sessions, including the use of the AASA trolley with various technological devices. The programme also incorporates paper-based activities to help students improve their performance, as well as to support teachers in their instruction.
Mpho is also proud of the recent ICT training for disadvantaged ECD practitioners. The practitioners will now have the skills to utilise ICT for administrative purposes as well as for teaching and learning.
Mpho emphasises the importance of involving other JET divisions in the projects being implemented. She believes that collaboration across the different divisions in working towards a shared goal of success is a significant achievement and fosters hope and demonstrates progress. She adds that JET should ensure ongoing improvement of the South African education system in collaboration with various stakeholders, aiming for a quality and equitable education system for all. JET’s new strategy should promote the expansion of JET's/AASA Education project to all disadvantaged communities and schools in South Africa, necessitating the involvement of additional committed stakeholders, including the government.