DURBAN: Many of the challenges faced by pupils trying to understand physical science are now history at Enaleni Secondary School in Umlazi, south of Durban, thanks to their new science laboratory which was unveiled recently.
The fully equipped physical science laboratory was made possible by Mondi, the international paper and packaging group that donated R660 000 towards the state of the art facility.
Dr Enoch Nzama, the head of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education unveiled the laboratory on Friday and commended Mondi for assisting the department.
“The department has a mammoth task to strengthen the teaching and learning process at thousands of schools in the province. We don’t have adequate resources to ensure we produce the targeted number of scientists as stipulated in the national development plan and we require private sector investment,” he said.
Mondi Merebank acting managing director, Rodney Munsami said skills in the fields of maths and science are vital to encourage sustainable growth in South Africa.
“We believe in playing our part by investing in the education sector contributing to the delivery of higher quality education and improving the quality of graduates, who enter the workforce. A strong science and engineering skills pipeline is a key factor in supporting business sustainability,” he said.
He added that Mondi looked forward to seeing the success of graduates who would have passed through Enaleni Secondary.
“We hope the new science laboratory will inspire learners to improve their performance in physical science and equip them for science related careers that contribute to the advancement of the economy and our country,” said Munsami.
Bongani Hlophe, principal of Enaleni Secondary said the new laboratory would assist the school improve its science results.
“We are extremely grateful to Mondi for their investment towards the improvement of our school. Learners are excited when they enter this new facility, they no longer need to imagine the chemical reactions, instead they are eager to conduct the practical experiments and witness the results first hand”