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90% of readers believe that mobile technology and increasing online access make social media an ideal platform for attracting younger generations of South Africans to SET fields of study. |
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5% of readers say they are not sure. |
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5% of readers say that this time and money could be better spent on outreach projects. |
Exoplanet extraordinaire… Only a few weeks into the new year and already four new exoplanets have been discovered. An exoplanet is a planet that orbits a star in a solar system other than that of the earth. It looks as though 2012 is going to be a year filled with discovery.
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OUT AND ABOUT
Up close and personal with science
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Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom (on the right) officially unveiled the new science centre at Mothibistad in the Northern Cape. |
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Professor Jan Smit of the North West University’s science centre demonstrates an interactive exhibit to Deputy Minister Hanekom and other guests. |
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A new science centre was recently unveiled in the Northern Cape with the purpose of providing support in the learning and teaching of maths and science to about 197 schools in the catchment area. The centre, which is in its start-up phase, will soon have astronomy as one of its main focus areas and will also be open to members of the public.
In a bid to demystify science and raise interest in the field among South Africa's youth, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) opened its 30th dedicated science centre in Mothibistad in the Northern Cape on 21 October last year.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, says the opening of this science centre is another means by which the department hopes to boost the education of and provide a solid future for the industry in South Africa. “We strongly believe this is a matter that deserves our support. We expect to see a high return on what we put into the strengthening of science and technology among the South African youth.”
Hanekom unveiled the centre at an official ceremony, describing it as a “spacious, converted house” in Mothibistad next to Kuruman. The event served to introduce the new addition to the country's established centres and gave interested parties an opportunity to view the initial phase of the set-up, including a number of interactive exhibits.
SAASTA awarded a grant through the Programmatic Support Grant Intervention (a project that it manages on behalf of DST) to the Northern Cape Department of Education for the purchase of 37 interactive exhibits. Built by the North West University’s Science Centre and worth approximately R650 000, the interactive exhibits form part of the initial phase of equipping the science centre. In addition, the Northern Cape Department of Education provided computers and software for the computer simulations that are part of the astronomy awareness programme run by the South African Astronomical Observatory.
The interactive exhibits, which realistically demonstrate physics and chemistry experiments, provide learners with a fun, tangible source of education. Hanekom says “when children can touch and see science working, it is a lot more stimulating for them. This makes it easier to learn. Each province has its own character and geographical advantages, and the Northern Cape lends itself to astronomy. The province is close to the Karoo and boasts ideal conditions for astronomy work and research, both in the optical and radio astronomy fields”.