Cape Recife High is the largest schools of its kind in the Eastern Cape catering for learners with special needs from Grade RRR to 12. There are currently 416 learners – see how they make use of technology to enhance learning in the 21st-century.

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Mr. Jacques Pierre Hugo – Principal: Our school is the largest of its kind in the Eastern Cape. We cater for learners with grade R to 12. At present, we have 416 learners. School started as a school for cerebral palsy learners and, as time went on, we added physically disabled learners with higher order autism, learners who are hard of hearing, learners who are visually impaired, and various syndromes. We researched various ways to accommodate our learners and their barriers of learning. And ITSI came on the scene and for some reason, learners with dyslexia and [inaudible 00:00:39] work very easily with technology. And we thought that, perhaps, when we apply technology to them, then we will likely ease the burden of learning.

Mrs. Jessica Shellingerhout – Gr. 7 Teacher: We started using the ITSI platform quite a while back. I was quite excited because now it’s just an extra tool to use, especially with special needs children because some of them are visual learners, some of them are auditory learners. They need all of that stimulation in order to boost their education.

Mrs. Anmari Van Den Bergh – H.O.D.: Teachers can create their own books for specific classes or grades. And then come to parent evening, I can go on their administrative part of their ITSI website, and I can show the parents exactly when and for how long the child used a specific book.

Mrs. Jessica Shellingerhout: I push content, I go to YouTube, I get a video, download, put it onto the ITSI platform, and the children use it.

Marthinus Boshoff – Gr.7 Student: For a child with special needs, it’s much more than just a toy. I learn when my mom like, gives me a recording of whatever I learn, and she does a recording on the tablet, and I will replay it the whole time. And if the teacher tells you you have to go to page 410, you can just type it on the bottom right corner and you get to where you have to be.

Mr. Jean Pierre du Toit – Gr.8 & 9 Teacher: It doesn’t take space at home to store. Actually, the textbooks all of them, obviously, you lose use papers. So if you load it onto the tablet, it’s always there, and you can’t lose it as its on your name is on your account.

Mrs. Anmari Van Den Bergh: The support in general from ITSI is actually very good. We’ve got one person from ITSI sitting on the premises on a Thursday, and she’s very hands-on, and she helped them quite a lot.

Isaac Meyer – Gr. 12 Student: Given the experience with technology now rather than later, it helps this generation to be prepared for the next.

Mr. Jacques Pierre Hugo: I do think that e-learning is the way to go in the future?

Mr. Jean Pierre du Toit: I enjoy teaching with the technology. It makes life easier and learners are more engaged with you in the class.

Mr. Jean Pierre du Toit: I think e-learning is here to stay. I think it will improve as teaching and learning always improves, and the future will be even more dependent on the technology.

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