Programme Director;

The Honourable MEC of Education of the North-West Province, Reverend Johannes Tselapedi;

The Executive Mayor of Tlokwe Council, Councillor M Maphetle;

The Campus Principal of the North-West University, Professor Annette Combrink;

The Superintendent-General of the North-West Provincial Education Department, Mr Matanzima Mweli;

The Head of the North-West University Science Centre, Professor Jan Smit;

The Executive Director of the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement, Ms Beverley Damonse;

Officials from the Departments of Education;

Educators and learners;

Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen

We have gathered here today to mark the beginning of the 2008 edition of the National Science Week celebrations. Today’s event also marks the fourth year of the implementation of the Five-Year Plan of the National Science Week we adopted in 2005.

We are now just a year away from the end of the five-year term, after which we will embark on a comprehensive summative evaluation of the event. This evaluation will, among others, assist us in determining the future format of National Science Week celebrations.

The data we started collecting over the last three years through internal and external evaluations provide us with indications of where we are excelling and where we need to pull up our socks. All these activities happen in tandem with our efforts to create a society which is conscious of the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in our lives. We have to do all these because our level of success in creating a knowledge-driven society depends on the degree to which our people understand how the environment in which they live operates.

The last three years of the implementation of the National Science Week have been accompanied by a number of visible successes. Among them is the tremendous growth in partnerships we formed in the delivery of the event.

This included the involvement of both local and international partners. We have among us here, two representatives of the Embassy of France in South Africa, Mr Vincent Baron, Attaché for Science and Technology, and Professor Samuel Elmaleh, Counselor for Science, Culture and Development. Through our cooperation with the Government of France, some South Africans will have the opportunity to view and interact with a nanotechnology exhibition brought by the French to our country.

We are aware of the fact that the emergence of nanotechnology has created a lot of anxiety and excitement, as it is widely believed that this could be a technology for the next industrial revolution. Some quarters also perceive it as the technology with a potential to change human lifestyles in ways never expected.

The presence of the nanotechnology exhibition in South Africa will go a long way in assisting us to formulate our views about this cutting-edge technology. No less than five science centres, in at least five provinces, will have opportunities to host this exhibition for periods ranging from a week to a month. The exhibition, which has already been to Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, Unizul Science Centre and MTN Science Centre, is now being showcased at the Science Centre on this campus.

Perhaps I need to explain why science centres emerged as obvious hosts of this prestigious exhibition. The Youth into Science Strategy, through which my Department is driving the promotion of science and technology literacy, is mainly implemented through a Network of Science Centres. With a mandate to promote science and technology literacy, science centres are, therefore, an appropriate home for this exhibition.

The growth of the National Science Week over its last eight editions is characterised by, among others, increased participation of the Provincial leadership across the country. To date, the launch of the National Science Week is no longer a DST-only affair.

The national launch has become a joint activity of the DST and the hosting Provincial Government, whilst on the one hand some Provinces conduct Provincial launches of this event, which are led by respective Provincial Government leaders. This year we have at least six Provinces conducting Provincial launches of the National Science Week.

Whilst we are proud of the progress we are making in the delivery of the National Science Week five-year Plan, we remain cognisant of the challenges facing us in this regard. For instance, over the past three years we have not been successful in increasing the numbers of the general public, private sector and some of science institutions to our National Science Week sites.

But we wish to applaud learners in the Further Education and Training (FET) band for consistently increasing their attendance to the National Science Week sites, and urge learners in the General Education and Training (GET) band to take advantage of the programmes delivered at these sites to assist them in deciding on their future career paths. I am confident that as Provinces continue to play a greater leadership role in launching this annual event, more schools, and hence school-going kids, will begin to participate in this very important national occasion.

Launching the National Science Week on this campus has great relevance to the work of my Department, especially when we perceive it from the role played by higher education institutions in identifying and nurturing talented young people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Recently, this University played an important role in identifying and nurturing talented young people.

Through the National Youth Service, in which my Department collaborates with science centres across the country, a total of 118 unemployed science graduates have been deployed to science centres. The science centre on this campus is among the participating science centres hosting some of these volunteers.

Our link with this University puts us in a strategic position to broaden access for the participating unemployed science graduates to post-graduate opportunities. For instance, Ms Mpho Mtoboli was awarded a place in the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis as a member of the Centre’s Olefins Programme, a position which strategically places her in line to become one in the new generation of research leaders.

We also have Ms Dorothy Mmatlala, another Volunteer through the National Youth Service at the North-West University Science Centre. She has been invited to participate in the Linnaeus-Palme International Programme. This is an Exchange Programme for teachers and students at undergraduate and Master's levels in higher education, and is aimed at strengthening cooperation between universities in Sweden and developing countries.

I must confess that I never thought that our National Youth Service Programme, which only started in January this year, would by now have produced such tangible results. I thank Professor Annette Combrink, the Rector of this campus, and Professor Jan Smit, who leads the North-West University Science Centre, for creating an environment which enabled us to reap the instant results shown by the two women.

When we celebrate and showcase the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from 10 to 17 May 2008, we will also raise awareness about how our lives could be enhanced through the linkage of universal scientific knowledge and our indigenous knowledge. As we strive to position ourselves among the best countries in the global knowledge economy, we can count on the indigenous knowledge we possess to develop unique products for both local and international markets.

We are certain that by bridging the gap between indigenous and universal scientific knowledge systems we will greatly contribute towards the achievement of the new curriculum principle of valuing and enhancing indigenous knowledge systems in ways that do not exploit indigenous knowledge holders. If this exercise is not properly managed, knowledge holders and beneficiaries could lose out on potential income-generating opportunities.

Through the science centres and the National Science Week activities, our people can learn about some success stories on how knowledge stemming from indigenous communities was safely turned into income generating opportunities.

In order to claim our rightful position in the knowledge-based economy, we need a strong research and development human capital in various science disciples. Our major challenge remains our ability to attract the best learners to science-based careers. Other challenges pertain to our success in reducing undergraduate drop-out rates and increasing throughput rates of those who stay within our academic programmes.

While our Youth into Science Strategy is geared towards addressing some of the challenges at school and undergraduate levels, we believe the envisaged Science and Technology Human Capital Development Strategy, which we intend tabling before Cabinet in the current financial year, will provide a framework for dealing with the challenges posed by the postgraduate phase.

I urge the learners among us here today to take advantage of the programmes we are putting in place to plan your career directions. This year, there are 67 sites hosting the National Science Week activities nationally. During your visits to one of these, please collect and make use of the documents containing information on the many science-based careers. If you need further assistance, do not hesitate to consult with your teachers and parents.

The month of May also coincides with the period during which universities, bursary and scholarship sponsors begin to close the applications for the following academic year. To the matriculants, please ensure you submit your applications to the relevant institutions before it is too late. I wish you every success in your future endeavours. And as you strive to carve bright futures for yourselves, always remember the words of Kurt Thomas, namely that:

“… the most important step in any major accomplishment is setting a specific goal. This enables you to keep your mind focussed on your goal and off the many obstacles that will arise when you are striving to do your best.”

May I, in closing, take this opportunity to wish you, your parents and educators a very fruitful National Science Week 2008. On May 17, the day on which the National Science Week 2008 ends, do some introspection and assess the extent to which the event has made a difference in your lives.

It is now my singular pleasure to declare the National Science Week 2008 officially launched.

I thank you.