Technology company Siemens SA, in conjunction with the Department of Education and the Department of Science and Technology, is building the Mandela School of Science and Technology, in Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape.
The initiative has also been invested in by the Mvezo Development Trust. It will see the establishment of a multimillion-rand, state-of-the-art, sustainable science and technology school at the birthplace of former president Nelson Mandela.
At the soil-turning event on Friday, Zwelivelile Mandela, chief of Mvezo, said the idea was to build a high school in the area, since the closest one is more than 80km away from the village.
According to Siemens global board member Siegfried Russwurm, technology solutions will be used to design the school according to principles of sustainability. It will also incorporate environment-friendly solutions, such as water purifications systems, and will be powered by solar energy.
“The learners at the school will be exposed to this cutting-edge technology and will hopefully get excited about technological solutions and the fascinating world of engineering. SA and the rest of Africa need engineers to find answers to the continent's infrastructure challenges and to create jobs.”
Global connection
The Mandela School of Science and Technology is in the final stages of planning, according to Siemens. Progress on the construction side will happen this year.
It will be the first high school in the area, with capacity for 700 students, and will also be one of the first green schools built in the country.
Deputy science and technology minister Derek Hanekom said the school will be completely off-grid in terms of energy, and this can be applied to other schools in SA.
“We believe the school's presence in Mvezo will address many of the social challenges faced by the community, because students are forced to leave home from grade seven to attend high school. The presence of a high school based in Mvezo will allow our children to complete their matric, giving them the opportunity for a tertiary education and a rewarding career,” said Mandela.
“We are hoping, that through education, the youth of Mvezo will connect with the global community and equip themselves to address the challenges we are facing.”
Gateway subjects
Speaking at the event, basic education minister Angie Motshekga said one of the “big ideas” adopted by the department is to attend swiftly to the school infrastructure backlog.
“Another 'big idea'... is improving learner achievement in and appreciation of mathematics, science and technology. The new school will accelerate interest in these gateway subjects vital for meeting the challenges of the 21st Century.”
The minister said there is a shortage of engineers, scientists and technology experts in SA. “They are the women and men who... make cities work and drive a country's sustainable growth.”
She added that the school will see the production of a new generation of innovators through an internationally benchmarked curriculum for maths and science.
Hanekom said this is important because the Eastern Cape performs worse than other provinces in these subjects.
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