ADVERTORIAL PEARSON SOUTH AFRICA
Empowering human progress Pearson is the world’s learning company with 24 000 employees across 70 countries, drawing on a rich heritage of publishing and educational companies with which it has merged since 1844. Since then, Pearson and its imprints have remained at the forefront of educational publishing. Today, in addition to print books, Pearson provides digital learning content and services, assessment, as well as professional programmes and qualifications. Pearson owns Pearson Institute of Higher Education, which has 12 campuses across the country.
Diversity and inclusivity Pearson South Africa is one of the few publishers in South Africa publishing in all 11 official languages. ‘When it comes to readers in particular, we do not create materials in English then translate them into local languages; we generate the stories originally in those languages,’ says Reggie Mokotsi, Head of Learning Services at Pearson South Africa. ‘Our reading instruction programme called Vuma, reflects the richness of our country, with a focus on improving reading, comprehension and understanding in mother tongue.’
Technology empowered learning ‘We look forward to leading the fourth industrial revolution in education by providing learners and teachers with cutting edge content to enhance future skills,’ says Mokotsi. Several new projects are beginning to shift the direction of the Pearson Group, driving it towards a digital future. Some of these projects include MyPedia, a blended front-of-classroom teaching solution, underpinned by assessment for learning that brings digital learning into the classroom, without connectivity. Pearson South Africa has taken its knowledge about how people learn and applied that to the business world to create bespoke career-enhancing training, offering globally recognised short online learning courses.
Dedicated to education in South Africa South Africa’s education landscape is haunted by challenges around access and affordability. These are aggravated by social issues like poverty and linguistic
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barriers. For Nhlanhla Thwala, academic director at Pearson Institute of Higher Education (PIHE), an even bigger problem is that education is divorced from these issues. At PIHE, various programmes prepare students for success at a tertiary level and beyond. PIHE offers foundational programmes and the Pearson Graduate Development Programme involves taking high-achieving graduates and giving them the opportunity to be immersed in businesses through internships. The Pearson Marang Education Trust (PMET) has focused on best practice as an approach to improving the quality of teaching, learning and school management in South Africa, through research, engagement and development at the coalface of education. Through appropriate interventions, PMET has helped rebuild schools and communities. ‘Today they are in seven provinces, effectively reaching 120 000 learners,’ explains Mokotsi. Pearson’s global CEO, John Fallon states: ‘Our purpose is to empower human progress through learning. It’s more than just words to us. It is our responsibility as a learning company.’ n
Pearson South Africa T +27 (0)21 532 6008 E pearsonza.enquiries@pearson.com W za.pearson.com
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SA PROFILE ISSUE 3_21Jan2020_02.indd 22
2020/01/24 5:00 PM
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