Robotics lab offers lifeline to learners in Dullstroom

IN A marginalised town of Dullstroom in Mpumalanga, where opportunities can often feel limited, a glimmer of hope is beginning to emerge at Siyifunile Secondary School.

- ANITA NKONKI

For many learners at the school, education is not only about passing exams; it is about navigating life's challenges while holding on to the possibility of a better future.

On Thursday, learners gathered to witness the launch of a new robotics laboratory, an initiative aimed at opening doors to opportunities many had never imagined.

The lab, established through a partnership between the Shoprite Foundation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), promises to introduce learners to coding, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI).

For a school in a rural community where access to advanced technology is still rare, the new facility represents more than just computers and robotics kits. It represents possibility.

The Saturday Star attended the launch and saw firsthand the excitement among learners as they explored robotics equipment, listened to demonstrations, and learned how artificial intelligence works.

The lab will provide learners with hands-on experience in robotics and digital literacy, forming part of a structured learning pathway from Grade 8 through to matriculation.

While robotics education is increasingly becoming part of modern school curricula, access to such programmes remains largely concentrated in urban schools.

For learners in rural communities like Dullstroom, opportunities to engage with robotics, coding, and engineering technologies are still rare.

School principal Lynette Mongwe said the initiative has the potential to change the trajectory of many learners at the school.

Yet she also spoke candidly about the difficult realities facing the community.