Cape Town - Teachers and pupils at six schools across the Western Cape are set to be empowered with practical learning experience and experiments required for holistic teaching.
The launch of the newly constructed science teaching and learning centres (Science TLCs), which will serve as creative spaces to teach science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, agriculture and coding (Steamac), will take place on November 22 and 26.
The schools are Langeberg Secondary, Breerivier Secondary, Ceres Secondary, Sarepta Primary, Kasselsvlei Secondary and Malibu Secondary.
Each partner, Advancing Knowledge NPC and Archway Foundation, contributed more than R300 000 per Science TLC. While the total contribution of funds by the Western Cape Education Department for the Science TLCs is R2.13 million. The funds will go towards the fit-out of a lab, training for teachers, and equipment.
This also brings the total number of Science TLCs constructed at Western Cape schools to eighty.
Deputy Principal and science teacher at Langeberg Secondary School , Prendel Hull said: “Science has no other choice but to come alive through interactive lessons, satellite lessons and even building relationships with other pupils through this amazing technology. We should never lose sight that it is, and will always be, about the pupil. How we can assist them in becoming a better version of themselves. I want to thank all those involved in this project.”
Director of Advancing Knowledge NPC, Shaheed Hartley: “We have to start with the basics in terms of supporting teachers to have the confidence to teach science with an advanced level of understanding, knowledge and skills. Similarly, we have to be creative in providing pupils with opportunities that will draw their interest and willingness to learn.
“Hence developing a culture of science teaching and learning will be a good start to prepare pupils to take up their place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Certainly, having a confident and knowledgeable science teacher in a conducive environment provided by the Science Teaching & Learning Centres is a step in the right direction,” he said.
Chief executive of Garden Cities Archway Foundation, John Matthews said: “The Science TLC project is one of the vehicles through which we, as a corporate organisation, invest in meeting South Africa’s future human resource needs in Steamac, especially within a 4IR environment”.
“The Archway Foundation firmly believes that it is only through education that we can rid the country from poverty and unemployment. All of us have to make a concerted effort to restore dignity to our people through education,” he said.
Western Cape Education MEC, Debbie Schäfer said: “We welcome developing partnerships such as these to improve the quality of teaching and learning at our schools in strategic Steamac subjects.”
Weekend Argus