In a bid to demystify science and raise interest in the discipline among SA's youth, the Department of Science and Technology opened its 36th dedicated centre, in the country's biggest province, on Friday.
Deputy minister of science and technology Derek Hanekom says the opening of a science centre in the Northern Cape is another means by which the department hopes to bolster education and provide a solid future for the industry in SA. “We believe this is something that deserves our support in that we expect to see a high return on what we put into the strengthening of science and technology among South African youth.”
The centre, a “spacious, converted house” in Mothibistad, next to Kuruman, was officially unveiled on Friday, following a keynote by Hanekom. The event served to introduce the new addition to the country's established centres and gave interested parties an opportunity to view the initial phase of the set-up, including a number of interactive exhibits. Hanekom says the centre, which is open to members of the public, will be expanded on gradually, and will, to a degree, be focused on astronomy.
“Each province has its own character and geographical advantages, and the Northern Cape lends itself to astronomy. The province is close to the Karoo and boasts the ideal conditions for astronomy work, both in the field of optical and radio astronomy.”
Ultimately, says Hanekom, the department envisages a minimum of one centre in each of the Northern Cape's five districts.
He says the objective and long-term goals are twofold. “Firstly, we want to stimulate an interest in maths and science, and secondly, we want to see better results in our schools. This is a priority.”
Hanekom adds that a strong teacher support base is also one of the top considerations with regards to the efficacy of the centres. “At the end of the day, it is the teachers that are responsible for getting results, and we would like to move in the direction of teacher support programmes at these centres.”
The department has purchased interactive exhibits worth about R650 000 as part of the initial phase of equipping the science centre. The Northern Cape Department of Education has provided computers and software for the computer simulations on the astronomy awareness programme run by the South African Astronomical Observatory.
Hanekom says the interactive exhibits, which realistically demonstrate physics and chemistry experiments, provide learners with a fun, tangible source of education. “When kids can touch and see science working, it is a lot more stimulating for them and this makes it easier to learn.”
He says the centres are a “wonderful opportunity to generate interest and create opportunities” for would-be scientists and other industry-related careers.
“We would like to see the science centre become an exciting Saturday outing. We need to make science real in the minds of young people.”
The centre will provide support in the learning and teaching of maths and science to about 197 schools in the catchment area.
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