Today, primary school De Schakel in Amsterdam-Zuidoost hosted the happy kick-off of a special initiative: thanks to a donation from Rabobank, 40 primary schools in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area will receive free access to the Jungle the Bungle language app for a year. This donation will enable more than 1,200 pupils to improve their Dutch in a playful way.
OBS de Schakel is one of the schools of Stichting Zonova opvang en Onderwijs. Present at the kick-off were Berty Menke, Project Leader Multilingualism at Zonova Foundation, and Erik Versnel, Director Rabobank Amsterdam, among others. Together, they gave the go-ahead for the project, which aims to promote equal opportunities by strengthening language skills at an early age.
Besides OBS De Schakel, four other schools within Stichting ZONOVA will receive a free licence for the school year, so that pupils there too can learn Dutch in a playful way.
The Jungle the Bungle language app helps children from group 1 to 4 learn Dutch in a cheerful and interactive way. The app automatically adapts to each child's level and can be used both in class and at home.
“With this cooperation, we want to give all children in the region the opportunity to develop their language through play,” said Erik Versnel of Rabobank. “Language is the key to equal opportunities.”
Berty Menke of the ZONOVA Foundation is also enthusiastic:
“For our pupils, this is a great opportunity. There is an inequality of opportunity within our pupil population, which makes extra support in language development incredibly valuable for many children. With this app, they can now enjoy working on their language skills at their own pace, something that will help them progress throughout their lives.”
Thanks to the support of Rabobank and Jungle the Bungle, a total of 40 primary schools within Metropolitan Amsterdam can take advantage of a free annual subscription for classes.
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