The aim of this programme is to empower and upskill educators in South Africa on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom, to become more fluent in the use of ICT, and more comfortable with using ICT in the classroom.

In the Eastern Cape, 268 educators from 52 schools were trained in the first phase of MeLDS 2018. Three trainers visited 12 sites where selected educators underwent training over a two-day period per site. The training consisted of two sessions in which educators were taught to integrate the laptops, given to them by the department of Education, into their everyday planning (including sourcing and/or making digital resources) and teaching (using the laptop as an effective teaching tool) across all three Foundation Phase subjects.

Educators also received a flash drive that contained all the latest DBE workbooks as well as other digital resources for their own use. The comprehensive manuals they received could also be used to serve as a resource if they needed to refresh their knowledge or refer to the contents in the future.

Participants were also given a portfolio assignment that required them to prepare a lesson in which they incorporated the skills they acquired during training. The trainers are busy preparing for a second round which consists of two site visits. During these site visits, the trainers will assist, guide and further train educators and help them to prepare for the presentation of the lesson they planned.

The educators attending this training were very excited about being able to make fantastic resources and using the laptops as a teaching tool effectively in the class.