Basic Education Minister, Mrs Angie Motshekga, welcomed the launch of the MTN Online School, which is seen as a cornerstone in terms of accelerating the digitization of education content in South Africa (SA). The launch, held as a hybrid event, took place at The Galleria Conference and Events in Sandton on 21 October 2021. The MTN Online School, a free integrated online educational portal, was developed in partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT). It aims to address the 21st century learning needs of SA’s children and narrow the gap in access to quality education among the youth. It is envisaged that the portal will give learners access to curriculum-aligned educational content from Grade R to 12, which will be provided by the DBE.

In his remarks, MTN SA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Godfrey Motsa, indicated that the Online School is available via the MTN website or the MTN Online School mobile app, which can be downloaded from the Android app store. The Apple version of the app will be available from next week in the iOS app store. “The app can be used by a teacher during a classroom lesson, or by a learner on their own. A full content library will be added to the platform and made available over a period of three years, focusing on key subjects. Video lessons will also be provided with a sign language interpreter to accommodate deaf learners,” highlighted Motsa.

Minister Motshekga said that the MTN Foundation is one of the most important partners in education since it works with the Basic Education Sector in several educational programmes. “The Online School is a huge investment and it will help Government in addressing the digital divide. However, we will have to move with speed to provide more digital skills to teachers,” remarked the Minister.  Minister Motshekga further stated that the Sector has already started with the recruitment processes for the Phase II of the BEEI, saying that most of the young people who will be recruited as ICT Cadres should be considered to be at the forefront of the Online School.  “I would like to thank the MTN Foundation for the wonderful initiative. I am definitely sure that it will reach out to a multitude of learners in the country,” concluded Minister Motshekga.