‘The Travelling Classroom’ - transforming futures

By Admin | 28th February 2025

Readers of a certain age will remember the famous '90's advert for Ronseal with the familiar phrase "does exactly what it says on the tin". This genius piece of advertising was simple, effective, memorable and has, most importantly, stood the test of time.

We recently received a press release from industry stalwart and premium wine producer, DGB, and the Ronseal advert sprung to mind.  Not because it was about painting fences, far from it, but because of the brilliant, simple and effective concept that will leave a lasting legacy in the Cape Winelands. 'The Travelling Classroom - The school that comes to you’ comprises of two mobile computer and library classrooms that have significantly impacted rural areas in the Cape Winelands District of the Western Cape in South Africa.

This inspiring initiative has now doubled its capacity with the unveiling of a second state-of-the-art mobile learning facility.  

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." This quote from Nelson Mandela encapsulates the importance of the second mobile learning facility and its unveiling this month at Alfons Primary School in Paarl by the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen. 

"South Africa faces three major challenges: unemployment, inequality and poverty. I think education is the key to the remedy for each of those three particular problems facing us. Making sure that every child in South Africa, no matter their background, is able to access a good quality education surely has to be one of the easiest ways to level the playing field in our country. The reality is that the government cannot do it on its own. Limited resources mean that we have to partner with the private sector, with organisations like DGB and others, to be able to meet the huge need that we have to make sure that our children are learning and that the opportunities exist for them to succeed and go forth to become the leaders of tomorrow," said Steenhuisen. 

Each classroom travels across the winelands every day. Bi-weekly, they visit each of the 19 schools on the programme during school hours. The two impressive 15m trailer trucks are fully equipped with a multitude of books as well as a computer center aiming to bridge the educational gap and uplift over 5,000 primary school children and 153 teachers from 19 regional primary schools each year. 

The cost of running these mobile learning facilities is substantial with over £192,500 (R4,5 million) spent on each truck to kit it out and over £32,000 (R750 000) a year to run and operate. 

 

Over 80% of Grade 4 students at schools in these areas struggle with reading comprehension and this stark reality is a barrier to their academic success and future potential. ‘The Travelling Classroom’ serves as a beacon of hope, igniting a flame of curiosity in each child it reaches, to nurture children’s educational experiences and address their challenges head-on by bringing vital educational resources and holistic development to the heart of the communities that need them most. 

There are three key components to The Travelling Classroom. 

1. Language and Literacy Development: A wide range of educational reading materials are available to encourage love for books and reading. Research shows strong reading skills lead to improved school performance and self-confidence.
2. Maths and Computer Literacy: Each classroom is equipped with 20 laptops with internet access and the Green Shoots MCO online mathematics programme is offered. It is aligned with the South African curriculum while addressing the lack of access to technology in communities in need.
3. Social Conscience: This third component focuses on nurturing emerging moral values amongst children, emphasising the importance of responsible citizenship.

The impact of ‘The Travelling Classroom’ is already being felt in the community, with school principals expressing their gratitude and seeing tangible improvements in student engagement and performance. Mr Solomons, Principal of Alfons Primary School, praised the project for providing excellent learning tools, while Mr Forbes, Principal of Rondeheuwel Primary School, Hermon, noted the significant improvement in attendance on days when the mobile classroom visits.

Kinderland Akademie, the registered community outreach of the Kinderland Trust, coordinates the day-to-day activities. The dedicated project team oversees logistics, educational oversight, organisational management, and administrative support, ensuring the seamless operation and success of the project.

This second Travelling Classroom has been made possible through a financial investment equally shared between the DGB Charitable Trust, and the DGB Executive Chairman’s family trust Hutch - Giving Children A Chance Trust. It is further backed by leading donors, Daimler Truck, Ardagh Glass Packaging and Rhenus Logistics, as well as an ever-expanding network of passionate individuals, businesses and organisations who share a common ethos – ‘if we can change the beginning of the story, we can change the whole story’.

“To replicate and further grow the drive to improve early childhood development in underprivileged communities we invite donors to join and help pave the way to brighter futures,” explains Tim Hutchinson, Executive Chairman at DGB. “If we can see children progress to higher education while remembering the lessons they’ve learnt at our facility, then we will all be better people for it.”

Through investment of expertise and the commitment of all those involved with this project, we know 'The Travelling Classroom' will continue to 'do exactly what it says on the tin' have a huge impact on communities in the Western Cape. 

For more information, please visit their website here.