Mahala.ms portal empowers students

The main objective is to enable learners from grade R to 12 to become more productive and better prepared for the next phase of their academic careers or the workplace, by gaining free access to Office 365’s services, including Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint.

In addition, students receive one terabyte (1000GB) worth of free OneDrive online storage to save their documents, class notes, assignments, research, podcasts, and vodcasts. An IDC study* that scanned 16.4 million job postings found that high-growth/high-wage jobs want employees with a range of skills that include a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.

Through the Mahala.ms portal, students and parents are able to self-provision their licenses and install the software on up to five devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones.

Students can organise their school and personal data in one secure location and are able to create and share content as well as collaborate on documents in real time. Moreover, they can access useful educational resources.

Says Lionel Moyal, Office Business group lead at Microsoft South Africa: “There are around 12 million learners and students in SA, but only a fraction of them have access to digital tools. As such, there is an immense opportunity to change the fortunes of millions of young people through the Mahala.ms portal, enabling many more students to master the use of technology and acquire 21st-century learning skill sets such as collaborating within groups and delivering captivating presentations.”

For more information, go to www.mahala.ms.