Teaching for Tomorrow: How Educators Shape the Future, One Generation at a Time

In a world where education seems to be the norm today, it’s easy to simply treat it as part and parcel of an average existence. For those struggling with the rigour of the academic system, it’s sometimes pleasant to hear the stories of successful school dropouts such as Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison. What we fail to recognise are the millions of people who are desperate for the opportunity for quality education, yet unable to access it.

Rodney Naidoo, a teacher in Durban, South Africa, saw this gap and decided to do something about it.

Discovering a passion for education

The thing is, Rodney hadn’t started out as a teacher. It wasn’t until the religious organisation he was a part of asked for help that he started providing science tuition to students who could not afford it. This became the turning point for Rodney, who then realised that teaching was something he knew he could be passionate about.

“I knew there was an opportunity for me to groom the youngsters of South Africa,” he explained, referring to the cultural backdrop of South Africa in the early 2000s. Democracy had just won the presidency for Nelson Mandela, and Rodney was eager to mould the younger generation towards these democratic ideals.

Rodney himself was no stranger to understanding the importance of education – when he was young, his grandfather had told him, “Education is key for you. It is important to break the poverty cycle.” Although his grandfather did not manage to finish his own high school education, his belief in the power of education led him to donate a part of his salary every month to Natest Primary School, a school in the UNESCO Learning City of Durban.

Today, Rodney teaches rural children from disadvantaged homes at the very same school his grandfather supported. In this way he carries on a generational legacy sowing towards the education of young people.

Always going the extra mile in his work, Rodney and his team are working over time to ensure that every child receives the tools, knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to succeed. In order to reach their goal of having every student complete Grade 12, they committed to providing extra tuition to disadvantaged students, even if it meant travelling to rural and remote areas during the school holidays.

“When you teach the less fortunate and you see them excel beyond expectation against all odds, that is the most rewarding part of this profession,” Rodney shared. “It makes you want to come back every day. It makes you want to give back every day.”

Enabling educators for excellence

Thanks to dedicated teachers like Rodney, rural communities are receiving crucial seeds of change through education.

Here at Patatas, we are committed to achieving the same vision. We are passionate about supporting innovative educators like Rodney, spurring them towards greater excellence in their life-changing work to create accessible education for all.

That’s why we built CaseStudy, a teaching assistant that connects educators and learners with high-quality digital resources. Not reliant on Internet connectivity or power, CaseStudy is the perfect partner to facilitate quality classroom education in rural communities.

Within the CaseStudy’s 15-inch waterproof and shockproof case is trusty learning management system that connects to 20 devices within an unobstructed 50-metre radius, as well as accompany tools for educators to create interactive learning experiences anywhere. You’ll get this all in our CaseStudy Lite kit, but if you’re looking for something more power packed, our CaseStudy Pro comes with additional offerings of a tablet, projector, screen and solar panel.

We’ve also built a comprehensive suite of solutions into our CaseStudy kits to enhance the educator experience, such as customised reports on students’ progress and access to a collaborative network of educators. CaseStudy’s learning management system also comes pre-loaded with world-class educational material from organisations like Khan Academy. This easy access to digital curriculum material without Internet connectivity ensures that students can enjoy a lag-free digital experience. Educators are thus freed to maximise student engagement in the classroom.

Educators using CaseStudy need not worry about technical difficulties – our dedicated support team is always ready to troubleshoot and provide solutions in an instant. We’ll do what we do best, so that you can focus on what you do best as well.

Giving the greatest gift

From one generation to another, the greatest legacy that can be passed down is the gift of education. The great Nelson Mandela saw and understood this priceless value, declaring education the “most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

Not all of us can be like Rodney and switch career paths for a devoted life of teaching – but we can still play a part in shaping the future. With whatever resources we have, every gift towards education is a seed sown to break the poverty cycle.

Let’s start making this change together.

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