The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education has been devastating, with learners losing out on classroom time.
Not being at school results in not only a loss of learning for pupils, but also mental distress, exposure to violence and abuse, missed meals at school, and a reduction in social skills development.
Ithala SOC Limited, a financial services provider, stepped into the fray and offered catch-up lessons through the Ithala Edu Platform which provided curriculum content and learner support to assist Grade 12 learners make up for lost schooling and to help prepare them for their final exams.
With the release of matric results at the beginning of the year, many students have reported their grades have improved considerably because of the learning support.
The Ithala Edu Platform is again up and running for the 2021 academic year. The platform and lessons are accessible on https://www.godigitalsa.today/ithalaeduplatform.html#header3-x.
The Ithala Edu Platform has enabled more than 206 867 students from underprivileged backgrounds to benefit from programmes focusing on the Caps Curriculum, Soft Skills and Career Guidance. More than 2000 learners were interacting with tutors via WhatsApp enquiring about lessons.
“The hard reality is that South Africa cannot afford to lose another learner or another hour of learning time. At Ithala, we want to make as many students as possible aware that our programme is still up and running for the 2021 academic year.
Ithala continues to help communities who lack the means to improve their lives, especially in these difficult times of the pandemic,” said Dr Thulani Vilakazi, CEO of Ithala SOC Limited.
“The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, the Ithala Edu Platform is here to ensure that some kind of schooling continued while classrooms were under lockdown,” he said.
Ithala launched the Ithala Edu Platform in June 2019 and focused on subjects such as IsiZulu, English, Accounting, Mathematics, Geography, Physical science an Applied Computer Technologies.
Ntombifikile Mfihle, a matriculant from Enaleni High School in Umlazi, south-west of Durban, said: “The lockdown disrupted our schooling and affected many students who could not access classes online.
“I am very thankful that Ithala helped me through this challenging time of the pandemic.
“I had a lot of relief during my final year of school with the Ithala Edu Platform which helped me focus on my favourite subjects such as physical science, IsiZulu and English.”
A matriculant from Phakamani Secondary School in Benoni, Gauteng, Siyabonga Dlamini, said: “I enjoyed using the Ithala Edu Platform as it helped me to concentrate and to better understand subjects.
“The Ithala Edu platform also helped me study online, which was new for me.”
The 19-year-old enjoyed tutorials in accounting, economics and mathematics.
Ithala Education Platform Pogramme came in second place at the KZN Top Brand category of the 2021 KwaZulu-Natal Top Business Awards.
Ithala SOC Limited is the only state-owned entity that provides full banking services; is already fully regulated by the South African Reserve Bank and other banking industry regulators; and is fully committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations.
A current distribution network of 38 branches in KZN provides convenient transacting facilities. Ithala offers a comprehensive portfolio of corporate and personal banking solutions.
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