Swartkops Primary school pupils clued up on coding

Cindy Preller

The Herald (South Africa)

25 Apr 2024

It has been almost four years since Swartkops Primary School pupils were initially introduced to coding.

And the school’s technology teacher, Victoria Olivier, has since developed the pupils’ appetite to comprehend the concept while growing their self-supported coding club, landing a bursary for a pupil and now intending on taking things further through the introduction of robotics.

The school’s coding team has also won numerous competitions hosted by Tangible Africa in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Olivier, who bought the school’s first coding kit with her personal funds and started the club in 2020, said it was during a workshop she attended with Tangible Africa in 2023 that Tangible Africa Founder Prof Jean Greyling mentioned his dream of having self-supported coding clubs.

“After that meeting, I ran to him because I felt like I needed the help.

“Often as teachers we feel overwhelmed, overloaded and overworked.

“Tangible Africa always finds a way to bring me back and feel motivated again,” Olivier said.

To get a trained Tangible Africa facilitator to run the self supported coding club at Swartkops Primary School, parents were requested to pay a small fee and the club started operating in February.

“The biggest benefit is it takes the load off the teacher as you have someone planning and running the sessions.

“The facilitator communicates with the learners in their own language and specialises in coding and can take the learners further.

“Most importantly, the facilitator brings a fresh approach.

“She isn’t tired from teaching all day and then doing coding club. She is enthusiastic and ready to challenge the pupils.”

Grade 7 pupil Ayabonga Bhe, 13, said she had learned teamwork through coding.

“You work together with your teammates, help when someone needs assistance and think outside the box.

“But most importantly, you have fun. Even when you lose, as long as you had fun,” Ayabonga said.

With the help of Tangible Africa facilitator Sisikelelwe Mtambeka, Olivier plans to introduce robotics at the club.

“The children in the Swartkops Coding Club are so enthusiastic,” Mtambeka said.

“I’ve watched some of the new kids, especially the little ones in grade 4, coming out of their shells socially.

“I’ve also just watched them really applying their minds.”

One of the school’s former pupils, Norman Msaka, previously received a high school bursary from Amazon vicepresident David Brown in recognition of his coding skills.

Tangible Africa, an engagement project of the Nelson Mandela University Computing Sciences Department and the Father's House Church’s Leva Foundation, was instrumental in setting up the coding club at the school as well as securing the bursary for Msaka.