Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Zenixole Tshentu; Healdtown High School learners and Tintswalo Shishaba with learners
“National Science Week, to me, means empowering young people to know more about science, to know more about how to develop their country into becoming more advanced, and opening up opportunities for people to live a better life,” said Ratiloe Mothlabane, a matriculant at Healdtown.
The two-day knowledge-sharing exchange in Amathole West District garnered close to a dozen schools from the area and surroundings, sparked curiosity and inspired the next generation of scientists. Day 1 was attended by 952 learners, and 741 on Day 2.
Along with witnessing exciting science displays, learners received career guidance from Sheri-Ann Pietersen, coding demonstrations by Mandela University’s Tangible Africa, wellness services from Emthonjeni Student Wellness as well as advice on applying to institutions such as Walter Sisulu University, Fort Hare University, Fort Cox Agriculture and Forestry Training Institute, that had partnered with Mandela University.
“We are looking beyond just bringing learners to science, we also want to bring communities to science because science is all around us. We want to do Science with communities. It does not end with us focusing on empowering learners only,” said the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Zenixole Tshentu.
Physics lecturers - Dr Nobom Hashe, Collin Bacela demonstrating; Principal Sintu Jaxa with Sinazo Hlohla, Grade 11 & Inanda Mtyapi, Grade 9; and Matthew van Zyl from Student Counselling with learners
Led by the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA), under the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) to celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Innovation (STEMI). NSW seeks to empower learners, especially those coming from remote rural areas.
The objectives of NSW include:
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To popularise science, engineering, technology and innovation as attractive, relevant and accessible to enhance scientific literacy.
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To attract and retain students in STEMI disciplines along the full length of the educational pipeline.
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To develop a critical public that actively engages and participates in the national discourses of science and technology for the benefit of society.
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To promote science communication that will enhance science engagement in South Africa.
“Government is making strides in aligning the content of the education with the needs of the economy. Therefore, curriculum renewal with an emphasis on maths, science and technology as priority learning areas, demonstrates our commitment in ensuring that education becomes the major tool that we must use to change the world,” said Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality Mayor, Councillor Nomhle Sango.
This year’s host school, Healdtown High School, has produced many leaders who played a leading role in the fight against all forms of injustice, including Robert Sobukwe (1946), and the University’s namesake, Nelson Mandela (1937).
“As a school that is moving to being a science school, we are honoured to host NSW, not only for our students, but also for us as educators, because we are also eager to learn, as the world is ever-changing,” said Healdtown’s principal, Sintu Jaxa.
Principal Jaxa has overseen a dramatic turn in the school’s academic performance, with Healdtown maintaining a 100% matric pass rate for three consecutive years. This is a commendable feat considering the pass rate was hovering at 40% before he arrived in late 2020.
In the series of public lectures held at Ngumbela Park near the school, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Technology (EBET) staff (Chris Allen, Ashvin Manga) eNtsa staff member and Andrew Young) dealt with the question of climate change from two angles, namely, design of climate-smart buildings and designing robotics for monitoring of oceans.
Malwande Nkalitshana from South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) talked to “Skills development, research and advocacy work in support of the Ocean Economy in South Africa” while Mr Brishan Kaylan from CMR talked to “Algae avengers: biodiversity of our coastal waters” to clarify the issue of algal blooms.
“We are constantly trying to simplify and better our way of living through science” said Faculty of Science Operations Manager, Lubabalo Saba, who used the concept of algorithms to explain to the learners how there is science outside of the Faculty of Science; a preamble to Dr David Waswa’s lecture entitled: ‘Connected yet concerned: the dual nature of high-tech living,’ which explored this further.
Dr Waswa, Director of the Centre for Broadband Communication at Mandela University, addressed the question of whether we should be concerned with living in a high-tech world by explaining that we have two lives – a physical and a digital life.
“The biggest challenge right now is not what technology can do but catching up with the velocity of change driving technology,” said Dr Waswa, who added that technology is for us, and we must be able to move with it by catching up to it.
Answering the question of whether we can move as fast as technology is changing, Dr Waswa utilised ‘the Internet of Things (IoT)’ which blurs the boundaries between the physical and the virtual.
He uses the example of how Chat GPT can be used positively as a voice-over tool, to help people in villages understand things communicated in their mother tongue.
In the same vein, Dr Waswa outlined some of the dangers of high tech, which include:
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Digital divide – limited access to technology
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Privacy risk – risk of identity theft
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Job displacement – automation threatens traditional employment
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Environmental impact – questions around sustainability
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Health concerns – public worries about EMF exposure and its long-term risks
He said this can be mitigated through digital literacy, raising public awareness by having technology workshops in rural areas, and the usage of cybersecurity tools.
“My first experience of NSW has been informative, I have learnt many things, and how we should go for careers that are in demand, which will require us to think out of the box,” said top-performing Healdtown grade 11 learner, Sinazo Hlohla.
The fruits of National Science Week were aptly captured by EC Department of Education representative, and Mandela University PhD candidate, Chief Director Mbulelo Mpupu.
“For education to find full expression, we must be able to see a transformed society, and that can only come through you as the generation that constitutes the future of our country,” he said.