On the road towards a radical rethink of South Africa’s education system

Ivy Academy, a technology-based learning institution, offers an alternative to the traditional education system.  Opened last year it has integrated the best of current educational systems with the multi-media potential of the future.

Research has shown that new millennium students are innately multi-media inclined. It makes no sense to subject them to a uni-dimensional world when they could flourish in an environment that is diverse, vibrant and fun.

One of the leaders of this innovative institution is its Head of Academics, Kathy Martin, who is a firm advocate of this alternative teaching methodology.  She is firmly of the opinion that what South Africa needs is an educational system that is contemporary, innovative and progressive.

Martin has several years experience in the educational sector.  She is a dedicated teacher with an inherent passion for children’s education and is an expert on the various education systems, past and present in South Africa and as such is able to offer an authoritative  and insightful commentary on education in general and more specifically the role that technology can and should play.

A keen follower of the renowned creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson, Martin believes what is needed is a ‘radical rethink of our school systems with a view to incorporating ways to cultivate creativity and intelligence’.

The philosophy should be that an education system needs to assess the context in which it is functioning. The world is advancing at an unprecedented rate and all students need to be equipped with the technological skills that will enable them to be functional within a global village.

This concept forms the basis of Ivy Academy and while the institution does not under estimate the importance of an excellent teacher to motivate and inspire young people or advocate e-learning or computer studying at the expense of tried and tested educational methodologies it clearly demonstrates how effective blending the two systems can be.

Furthermore Ivy Academy uses a ‘Problem-Solution’ environment whereby everything a child needs is onsite – there is no need for extra lessons or afterschool classes.  Problems or difficulties are picked up immediately as teachers can track how pupils progress through their lessons.  If the same lesson is viewed more than a certain number of times, the computer programme alerts the teacher of the problem and then appropriate support or solution can be applied. According to Martin, the evidence of this method is clear in the results, as there has been a dramatic improvement in the students’ results as the year progressed.

Due to her insight into education in general, as well as her interest and passion in creating a new education future, Martin debates keenly on the rights and wrongs of education – especially in South Africa.

Registrations now open for grade 8 – 12 learners! Contact Ivy Academy today at http://ivyacademy.co.za/ or 011 551 2111 for more information.