Programme Director

President of SAASTE, Ms Cynthia Malinga

Head of School of education: Prof. Mary Metcalfe

Head of the Marang Centre, Prof. Jill Adler

Director of Teacher Education, Illinois Institute of Technology, Dr Judy Lederman

Education Officials

Science and Technology Educators

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great pleasure to be here today. You, as members of this association, are like soldiers on the frontline, fighting to increase the numbers and transform the demographics of young people in science, engineering and technology.

The theme of the conference, “Science and Technology Teaching and Learning for Sustainable Development”, is very relevant to government efforts to deal with the problems facing science, mathematics and technology teaching and learning.

The lack of resources, the inadequacy of skills to handle the resources available, and the introduction of new topics into the curriculum are among the challenges we must overcome. It is hoped that this conference will help to address some of these challenges.

I am told that there are about 500 science and technology educators gathered here –from schools, higher education and NGOs.  The conference is intended to enable them ‑

• to share best practices and strategies to deal with the challenges of science and technology teaching;
• to further the professional interests of science and technology teachers;
• to promote links between the various disciplines and levels of science and technology; and
• to establish and maintain international links in science and technology.

My Department is collaborating with the Department of Education to find ways of enhancing educators' teaching skills and content knowledge, hoping that we will be able to increase enrolments in mathematics and science at school level and improve performance in these subjects.  

We hope that this collaboration will contribute towards making South Africa a sought-after home for a skilled, competent and dedicated pool of science and technology teachers. If this vision is to become a reality, we need to develop our own teachers urgently.

This can only be done if the educators themselves are committed to self-development, and allow themselves to remain lifelong learners. They need to be willing recipients of the support offered to them by key players, like my Department’s MST Educator Support Programme.

The new curriculum makes it essential for teachers to be exposed to industry and contexts in which science and technology are applied. The polymer and chloro-alkali industries are some of the key areas identified in the curriculum, as are recycling and soap making.

It is becoming more and more important for different sectors to become involved in ensuring that curriculum delivery is meaningful, and that industry doors are opened to the school community so that learners can witness the application of science and technology.  

Structures like the National Science and Technology Forum provide opportunities for these stakeholders to interact and to engage in debates that affect curriculum delivery in the classroom, and maximise learners' exposure to the application of the theory they have learnt.

In 2006 my Department implemented the MST Educator Support Programme to assist science and technology teachers to cope with the demands of the new curricula, particularly in the Physical Sciences.

The ESP has already trained more than 400 teachers in the new curriculum topics. These teachers have received an average of 40 hours of training over a two-year period, and at this conference they will receive an additional 12 hours of training on new content.

The Departments of Science and Technology and Education have been asked to support educators in other subjects, but this is unfortunately not possible in the short term. We have to prioritise physical sciences and mathematics for now in order to arrest the critical shortage of skills in these fields. 

We have to produce good Grade 12 passes in mathematics and science so that school leavers are able to study science, engineering and technology at tertiary level.

An evaluation that is part of the MST Educator Support Programme shows that teachers' competence and motivation are low. Therefore we need to change perspectives and transform attitudes. Educators should see themselves as knowledge producers, not just knowledge users.

You should be researching your subject and enquiring about your world. You should be experts in the subjects you teach, and you alone are responsible for your own development and the mastery of your subject. The young people you teach are hungry for the knowledge you can feed them. Go ahead and impress them with the quality of your engagement.

My Department is quite concerned about the low number of black learners that are participating in mathematics and science competitions and Olympiads.  We all know that participating in such events can unleash talent, and competitions teach our learners a great deal – how to investigate and observe, how to use equipment and manipulate data, and how to communicate about science.

My Department and SAASTE have provided support to enable learners to take part in Olympiads and competitions, and educators have welcomed this. We will ensure that we continue to support you.

Last week I launched a new umbrella body for science, engineering and technology Olympiads and competitions – FESTOC, or the Federation for Engineering, Science and Technology Olympiads and Competitions.

I invite SAASTE to work closely with FESTOC to build an innovative spirit in our schools, and a foundation for our National System of Innovation.  Without this, South Africa will not be capable of socio-economic development.

Today SAASTE and my Department are hosting 100 educators at a training camp.  The idea behind this is to have the teachers who have attended the EinsteinPlus workshops, run by the Perimeter Institute in Canada, share what they learnt in Canada with other teachers.

As we speak, three South African teachers (Mr Bailey Nkuna of Mpumalanga, Mr Victor Maketekete of the Free State, and Mr Ronald Engelbrecht of the Western Cape) are on their way to Canada to attend this year’s week-long EinsteinPlus workshop. The workshop focuses on subatomic physics and its links to cosmology.

Four learners will attend the summer school in August 2008 at the same institution. We hope that this exposure will help South Africa build a cadre of atomic physicists who will accomplish great things – perhaps coming up with a cure for cancer.

In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge the challenges that you face every day and tirelessly overcome. We appreciate the commitment you have to our learners, and hope that you will encourage others to be like you and to develop our youth.

The government's Youth into Science Strategy cannot succeed without teachers such as you, and professional bodies such as SAASTE.  Our success is yours, and your success is ours.

I wish you everything of the best at this conference.

Thank you.