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Science Maths And Technology Education
(SMATE) and Specialisations
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Sifikile Project Extension
– the provision of computers to schools in the Eastern
Cape
This ABSA funded project started three years ago with
an initial donation of 250 computers. During 2005/6, 21
schools in the Eastern Cape were provided with computers
and refresher courses on computer training for teachers.
Computer specialist Lulama Jack also visited each school
to make sure everything was functioning correctly. Faulty
equipment was replaced and on-site technical support was
arranged. In addition, three schools had electricity installed,
as they couldn’t afford to do this themselves. Each
school was encouraged to introduce a Computer Literacy
Learner Development Plan and to implement a structured
computer literacy programme. Each school was given 12-
15 computers and the necessary accessories and software. |
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Caltex gives energy to NMMU’s Science
Maths and Technology Education projects
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| Science, Maths and Technology
Education (SMATE) has received a major boost in six provinces.
Caltex (now the Chevron Group) has donated over R 500
000 to NMMU, so that the SMATE Department can train teachers
in these subjects in these six provinces. Some teachers
have been awarded their B Ed degrees and others have completed
their Masters Degrees in Science Education and Educational
Management. They are now able to pass this knowledge on
to learners in rural areas where there was previously
no access to this type of information.
The Amathole Cluster Schools Development Programme was
aimed at improving the number of learners studying higher-grade
mathematics in the FET band, the standard of learner attainment
in higher-grade mathematics, and the qualifications and
competence of teachers teaching these learners mathematics.
The Family Maths Programme provided support to the community
by offering creative education practices for maths - reaching
teachers, parents, learners and community members. The
Family Maths Domestic Workers Project in the Eastern Cape
catered for twenty domestic workers who tackled basic
numeracy activities. The Cluster Schools Development Project
in the Rustenberg district of the North West Province
involved teachers in regular workshops that focused on
developing their pedagogical-content knowledge, appropriate
materials, assessment strategies, developing shared and
standardised tests, and monitoring learner progress in
either mathematics or English.
The Ripple Programme involved teaching leader-learners
science and mathematics, which they could ripple back
into their classrooms. The Scientific Literacy Project
focused on reading, discussing, doing, arguing, writing
and presenting aspects of the scientific endeavor. The
Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (Tesol)
programme resulted in five candidates being awarded SIT
Tesol certificates, which enables them to teach English
to foreign language students. |
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North West Ripple Programme Winter School
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During the North West Province June school holidays the Ripple Programme for
maths education, that targets principals, teachers and learners, was run in schools in previously disadvantaged
communities in this province. Shilela Malatjie (NMMU Trust) and Vernon Naidoo, the SMATE program manager at
NMMU’s Missionvale Campus, together with the North West Programme Co-ordinator Mokadi Mosiane,
visited the schools to speak to the learners and meet with principals, teachers, and also the currently
assigned transporters of students. NMMU t-shirts were also presented to the teachers.
Mokadi Mosiane is involved in every aspect of the programme from assisting the teachers with their maths
teaching plans to dealing with all the transport queries for students when they attend extra maths lessons.
As such he has developed an excellent relationship with the principals, the teachers, the learners and
the transport service providers. The work that he is doing is highly appreciated and valued by the NMMU as
well as the learners in the programme, who are benefiting greatly from the maths education. Funders for
this project include the Nedbank Foundation and Xstrata. |
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SMATE projects
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| The Science Maths and Technology Education (SMATE) Department at NMMU runs a variety of different projects that are successfully empowering participants in disadvantaged communities. These various programmes highlight the need for science, maths and technology education in South Africa. |
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The Cluster Schools Development Project
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| The Cluster Schools Development Project in the Rustenberg district of the North West Province involved teachers in regular workshops that focused on developing their content knowledge, using appropriate materials, assessment strategies, developing shared and standardised tests, and monitoring learner progress in either mathematics or English. The students from these schools were also involved in a project that worked on enhancing their maths and English skills and their ability to teach these subjects. Xstrata and the Nedbank Foundation were the chief donors for this project. |
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The Scientific Literacy Project
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The Scientific Literacy strategy initially aimed at producing a documented and replicable teacher development strategy plus the supporting material and apparatus to enable teachers to conduct scientific experiments that meet the outcomes of the National Curriculum. Workshops have been held with personnel from the Primary Science Programme (Western Cape), the Mathematics Centre for Professional Teachers and the READ organisation. The strategy was piloted in schools near Alice during 2007 and in 2008, the project focused on working in six experimental schools in township schools in Port Elizabeth. The project leaders are also working with READ trainers in seven provinces as partners on the Sasol funded ‘Blue Box’ Scientific Literacy Project.
Initial results indicate that the teachers can successfully adopt the strategy in their science classrooms and that there were highly statistically significant improvements in learners’ writing and discussion abilities in the experimental schools.
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Walmer Township schools project – revamped school hall
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The Walmer-Gqebera Township project, "The sky is the limit" reached a new milestone in 2009 with the opening of the newly revamped Walmer High School hall, decorated with banners made by the students of the township schools and the NMMU School of Architecture.
The multi-tiered "Sky is the Limit" project aims to aid the community in the fight against poverty and social issues, using education as tool in doing so. The project involves three schools in Walmer Township – Walmer High, Walmer Primary and John Masisa Primary. Various tools such as photo-voice technology, which involves the teachers recording thoughts and feelings of a community via photography, as well as newsletters and the production of video-documentaries were used by NMMU project facilitators in the NMMU Centre for Research, Technology and Innovation (CERTI) in the Faculty of Education and various other NMMU departments, in conjunction with teachers and students at these schools.
The revamp of the Walmer High School hall was one of the tiers of the "Sky is the limit" project. The school hall has been redecorated with the help of the NMMU School of Architecture and students from the school. Walmer High School has committed to maintaining the hall so that it can be used as a gathering place for them and the broader community. |
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