Smart classroom opens new learning opportunities for rural learners

Digital learning tools
Learning experience transformed at Coblenz Combined School.
Ndapandula Lilonga
  • 2 Days Ago

For learners at Coblenz Combined School in the Okakarara Constituency, the future of education is no longer something they only hear about; it is becoming part of their everyday classroom experience.

The school has received a smart classroom valued at nearly N$300 000 through a partnership between B2Gold Namibia and EduVision, giving learners access to digital tools aimed at improving research, collaboration and interactive learning.

The newly established facility includes an online-enabled smart board and digital learning equipment that allows learners to explore information beyond traditional textbooks. The initiative aims to ensure that pupils in rural communities are not left behind as education becomes increasingly technology-driven.

For many learners, the classroom represents a new way of engaging with lessons and discovering information.

"Having this technology at our school makes us feel included in the digital world. We can now learn differently, access more information and prepare ourselves for the future," one learner said.

B2Gold Namibia managing director John Roos said the investment was aimed at equipping young Namibians with skills needed to participate in a rapidly changing world.

He said the technology would enable learners to conduct research, take part in interactive lessons and use digital learning platforms that can support their academic development.

Roos encouraged learners and teachers to make full use of the facility and ensure it contributes to improved academic performance. "We want to see returns; we want to see your marks improve," he said.

EduVision director Frikkie Louw said the project was designed to help bridge the digital divide between urban and rural schools.

He said access to technology should not be determined by where a learner is born or attends school, adding that education remains one of the most important investments in Namibia’s future.

Coblenz Combined School principal Uazuvara Kuzatjike and school board member Rapupara Tjipira welcomed the initiative, saying the smart classroom would strengthen the school's efforts to improve learning outcomes and prepare learners for future careers.

The facility forms part of B2Gold Namibia’s broader education support programme, through which the company has established 20 smart classrooms across Namibia.

The initiative continues to provide young people, particularly those in rural areas, with access to digital resources designed to help them build skills for an increasingly connected world.