PLAY AFRICA has developed a free, open source curriculum to promote STEM education and climate change awareness in South African learners from an early stage.

Play Africa is a children’s museum based at Constitution Hill and is active across the country’s nine provinces.

Its new curriculum, called STEM Seeds, was unveiled during a virtual launch on Friday, to coincide with International Day of Women and Girls in Science.  

The curriculum is a support resource for educators and practitioners working in early childhood development (ECD), helping them build science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills and climate change awareness in young learners through play.

Play Africa CEO Gretchen Wilson-Prangley told ITWeb the curriculum is designed to work alongside the South African National Curriculum Framework for Children from Birth to Four and CAPS.

The ECD-focused curriculum features ready-to-use techniques and activities that educators can download, as well as a series of freely-available video tools.

It includes sections called “playful educator”, which is about building the educator’s confidence to use playful teaching methodologies to teach STEM.

The “playful classroom” section allows educators to use recycled material to create a STEM centre, where each corner in the classroom is dedicated to science, technology, engineering and maths.

According to Wilson-Prangley, the target market is educators of learners aged three to six, but is still appropriate for up to age 10.

This, she believes, will support early development and school readiness; so that by the time learners enter ‘big school’, they have developed some key STEM skills.

Through its work with ECD centres across the country, Wilson-Prangley said Play Africa found communities were often resource-constrained.

“One of the things that we found is that many ECD practitioners do know that STEM is required for so many different careers; that science, technology, engineering and maths are high-growth areas that will be necessary in a changing world; and there are many ECD educators that know about climate change.

“However, when it comes to figuring out how to take these bigger concepts and apply them in an age-appropriate way through play, a lot of educators revealed they’d sometimes get stuck – they didn’t know where to start.

“When we started to create this resource, we started with educators. We went out into communities and used our Design Thinking process, to find out what they really need and how to provide that to empower them and bring STEM learning and climate change awareness through play into the classroom.

“From these interviews, we heard that educators wanted easy-to-apply, practical tips and resources that they can start applying today.

“One of the things that we heard is that some teachers felt that when it comes to STEM, they think of high-end equipment. We wanted to show educators that you don’t need expensive material to start to teach children about STEM.”

Commenting on the significance of the STEM Seeds launch on International Day of Women and Girls, Wilson-Prangley said it underscores the importance of empowering girls by promoting gender equity in STEM education and careers.

“If we want to equip South Africa’s children for the future, we need to support the creativity and resourcefulness of our country’s early educators.

“This curriculum support for early educators can help children develop new capacities for deeper learning, critical thinking and creative problem-solving through playful learning.”

“Our objective is to help South Africa’s early educators, from all backgrounds and education levels, build the confidence they need to use playful approaches to introduce STEM and climate change awareness in classrooms across the country,” added Rachel Fowkes, programme manager for STEM Seeds at Play Africa.

“Now everyone can help encourage the next generation of South African scientists, coders, engineers, mathematicians and inventors.”

Wilson-Prangley concluded: “Our hope is that this is a locally-relevant resource that is embraced and celebrated by ECD practitioners and becomes a real tool to help them to enliven and enrich their classroom experience. We think that is the transformation we need to see today, to be able to develop the scientists of tomorrow.”

–ITWEB

THE opposition Democratic Alliance has proposed a number of changes for school timetables in a bid to make up for lost teaching time during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the CRAMS- TIMMS survey, learners have lost between 50-75% of learning time over the last two years. This has wide-ranging implications for learners and it is important that the feasibility of various methods are considered to ensure that they catch up on the curriculum, the political party said.

Some of the proposals made by the DA to catch up this lost time include:

Trim the curriculum and focus on the basic skills;Address the teacher vacancy rate as a matter of urgency;Provide extra lessons through absorbing graduates and calling back retired teachers, with the consideration of remuneration;Work with the Departments of Higher Education and Treasury to consider increasing the number of bursaries for teaching with a focus on STEM subjects;Extending the school day by an hour.

“The DA is looking into a variety of solutions for pupils to catch up on learning and teaching-time lost, of which the extension of the schooling time is a possible option,” it said.

“This, of course cannot go without the adequate funding to support it or without the consultation of a variety stakeholders; including learners, teachers and parents. As well as investigating how beneficial and practical this option is, other aspects such as the provision of incentives to teachers, considering learner transport and school nutrition must be considered.”

Updated rules 

Schools in the country recently returned to full-time teaching following the government’s decision to end rotational timetables.

Under the regulations, all primary, secondary and special schools from both public and independent schools returned to full-time attendance from 7 February.

Other significant changes that were introduced from this date include:

All contact sport and non-contact sport may resume, including training, intra-school and interschool games.Individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19 and their contacts are no longer required to isolate. Only people who have symptoms or are advised by a health care worker should isolate for not more than seven days after which the learner, teacher, school support staff or official should return to school/office.Schools should introduce face mask breaks for learners (5 – 15 minutes for every two hours during the school day) where they can safely remove their masks in an outdoor area.All learners aged 12 – 17 years and older are also encouraged to vaccinate at their nearest vaccination sites.

–BusinessTech

STAFF REPORTER |

THE Gauteng Education service providers have been ordered to pay back profits derived from irregular R431 million deep cleaning contracts.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the Special Tribunal judgment that set aside R431 million contracts awarded to services providers by Gauteng Department of Education to decontaminate, disinfect and sanitize schools in response to COVID-19.

The Tribunal made the ruling after hearing that following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and the country being placed under lockdown, Gauteng Education Department illegally procured personal protective equipment from 49 service providers in breach of National Treasury regulations.

The SIU approached the Special Tribunal to review and set aside the contracts following an investigation, which revealed that Gauteng Education paid over R431 million to service providers pursuant to a process that was hap-hazard, unfair and littered with procurement irregularities.

On Friday, the court heard that opening of schools required certain cleaning protocols which includes disinfecting and sanitizing the school. However, judge, Lebogang Modiba, said that the procurement process did not comply with section 217(1) of the Constitution.

The SIU seeks to recover all profits made by service providers from the irregular contracts.

“To ensure the profits are calculated and recovered in full, the Special Tribunal ordered that the service providers must submit a statement and debatement of account in respect of their appointment, performance and payment to the SIU, to determine the profits derived. If the accounting and the sum of profit determined is disputed by either the SIU or the service providers, the parties shall approach the Special Tribunal for an appropriate order on supplemented papers as necessary,” said SIU Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.

“In the event that there is no dispute on the accounting and the sum of profits, the Special Tribunal ordered that such profit shall be paid to the SIU within 15 days of such agreement, together with interest. More than R60 million has been preserved pending final determination of profits derived from irregular contracts.”

Kganyago added that the investigation revealed that the procurement process was not cost-effective.

 “The investigation revealed that the procurement process was not cost-effective, as service providers were not paid per square meter of the area cleaned. Rather, a senior official in the Gauteng Education appears to have arbitrarily decided to offer a fee of R250 000 to R270 000 for the decontamination of primary schools; R250 000 to R290 000 for secondary schools; and R250 000 to R300 000 for district offices. The fees bear no relation to the work done by service providers or the cost of material used.”

Kganyago said that the outcome of this review application is a continuation of implementation of the SIU investigations outcomes and consequence management to recover financial losses suffered by State institutions.

“There are 45 matters enrolled in the Special Tribunal which are still awaiting adjudication to the combined value of R2.1 billion and will result in further recoveries for the State.”

-Inside Education

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday the government still needs to build around 2500 schools around the country.

Ramaphosa delivered his sixth State of the Nation Address at Cape Town’s City Hall on Thursday evening.

“We still need to build around 2500 schools in our country. It will probably take us 75 years with current

mechanisms. Additionally, the damage caused by the theft of metal on our railway and electricity

infrastructure is enormous,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the government must ensure that platforms like school governing bodies are active and inclusive.

“We must work together to ensure that platforms like schools governing bodies and community policing forums are more active and inclusive,” Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa ensured the public that learners and students around the country will get quality education.

“As we return to normal educational activity, we will work harder to ensure that all learners and

students get the quality education they need and deserve. For the last two years, the education of our

children and young people has been severely disrupted,” he said.

The president said the government is introducing an innovative social infrastructure delivery mechanism

to address issues that afflict the delivery of school infrastructure.

“The mechanism will address the speed, financing and funding, quality of delivery, mass employment

and maintenance. The new delivery mechanism will introduce a Special Purpose Vehicle, working with

prominent DFIs and the private sector, to deliver school education infrastructure. This approach is being

piloted in schools in the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape,” Ramaphosa said.

The President further added that, “this includes the development of a Hydrogen Society Roadmap for

the next ten years as well as a Green Hydrogen Strategy for the Northern Cape, supporting the development of a green hydrogen pipeline worth around R270 billion. The damage caused by the theft

of scrap metal and cable on our infrastructures like electricity, trains and other vital services is

enormous. We will take decisive steps this year both through improved law enforcement and by

considering further measures to address the sale or export of such scrap metal.”

-Inside Education

WENDY MOTHATA |

THE North West Department of Education said all learners who were allegedly abducted from Tirelong Secondary School in Kroondal have returned to school.

“Tirelong learners have returned to school. In a meeting held last week, the parents have agreed that all learners should return to school,” said spokesperson Elias Malindi.

The department said the learners were allegedly abducted by unknowing people from schools. This is after learners at Tirelong School were transferred to Boons, Moedwil and Naauwpoort Mega Farm Schools after Tirelong Secondary school was vandalised during school holidays.

“The learners of Tirelong Secondary School were allegedly abducted from school by unknown people. About 54 learners from Naauwpoort Mega Farm School were allegedly forcefully removed and 162 learners were taken away from Boons Mega Farm School,’ Malindi.

The department invited the Tirelong Secondary School parents to a meeting. The purpose of the meeting was for parents to sign the commitment letters to allow learners to stay at the boarding schools.

According to the statement parents have agreed that ‘children should be allowed to go back to school, without any disturbance’.

Angy Moseki, the mother of Katlego and Phemelo who are both in Grade 8 at Boons Mega Farm School said she is emotional because people disturbed the studies of her children.

“I am totally emotional against those people who disturbed the studies of my children. We signed the consent forms with the department and some unknown people forcefully remove them without our permission. We want people behind these removals should face the full might of the law”, said Moseki.

The mother of Grade 11 learner, Mmaditshwanelo Paeea said the children must be allowed to go back to school. She further appealed to the government to protect the children at boarding schools,

“Let our children be allowed to go back to school. We are appealing to the government to protect our children. No one has a right to take away the education of our children. We want to thank the department for taking our children to a better learning environment”, said Paeea

The Provincial MEC for Education, Mmaphefo Matsemela assured parents that learners are safe at the boarding schools.

“I want to assure the parents of Tirelong Secondary School that as a department of education we will take care of the learners. In our boarding schools’ learners are getting the best care,” said Matsemela.

The MEC assured parents that going forward those who deny learners their right to education are brought to the book.

“Going forward, we will ensure that those people behind the denial of learners their right to education are brought to book. We have taken these learners to high performing schools. Naauwpoort Mega Farm School obtained 100% and Moedwil Mega Farm School obtained 85,2% in their matric examinations. I am confident that these learners will do exceptionally well in their final examinations”, said Matsemela.

The department said it is currently working on a plan to strengthen the safety and security of the affected boarding schools.

-Inside Education

WENDY MOTHATA |

THE High Court in Johannesburg has on Monday ordered the Gauteng Education Department to fix unsafe electrical equipment and vandalised infrastructure at Geluksdal Secondary School in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni.

Judge Fridah Senyatsi said the department must urgently replace unsafe electrical equipment and security at the school.

The Department has been given 15 days to fix the issues at the school.

“This means that Gauteng Department is ordered to resolve infrastructure problems at Geluksdal Secondary School urgently, so that learners are not endangered because of unsafe electrical equipment,” said Senyatsi.

This move comes after Section27 public law centre declared Geluksdal Secondary School unsafe.

A matric learner who was electrocuted at Geluksdal Secondary died tragically in January 2017.

 Section27 has been admitted as amicus curiae to fight for safe school infrastructure after the death of a learner from electrocution at school in Gauteng, “five years since the tragedy, the school is still unsafe.”

“Over five years since a matric learner tragically died at Geluksdal Secondary School in Gauteng after being electrocuted because electrical equipment was repeatedly stolen but not replaced by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), the infrastructure at the school remains a serious risk to learners’ rights and lives.”

“Between 2010 and 2017, Geluskdal suffered theft and vandalism of electrical safety equipment like circuit breakers, cables, distribution boxes and earth leakage at least three times. Despite being informed of the theft and vandalism, the district office and GDE did nothing.” Section27 said.

Judge Senyatsi said he is in agreement that a relief must be granted.

“I am in agreement 100% – there is a proper case in this case, the relief must be granted,” the Judge said.

Section27 said the judgment is a victory for learners at Geluksdal Secondary school.

-Inside Education

WENDY MOTHATA |

THE Democratic Alliance (DA) will on Thursday conduct an oversight inspection at Willowmoore High School in Benoni, Ekurhuleni.

The DA said that, Willowmoore High School is one of many schools across the province that are facing a serious challenge of a shortage of teachers.

“Willowmoore High School is one of many schools across the province that are facing a serious challenge of a shortage of teachers. A severe shortage of teachers in this school has resulted in a drastic drop in performance and matric pass rate”

The DA is set to engage with the School Governing Body (SGB).

“The DA is set to engage with the School Governing Body (SGB) to ascertain why there is a high rate of teacher vacancies and when these posts will be filled.”

The DA will further assess the state of the infrastructure and check whether there is sufficient learning equipment and materials at the school.

–Inside Education

WENDY MOTHATA |

ALTHOUGH many people have welcomed the return of full-time learning of learners, teachers’ organisations are calling the government to deal with the issue of overcrowded classrooms.

Learners across the country resumed with daily learning at various schools.

The move comes after Cabinet approved changes to the Adjusted Alert Level 1 COVID-19 regulations.

Cabinet decided to end rotational learning and remove social distancing measures.

The Department of Basic Education Spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga visited some of the schools on Monday to check the state of readiness.

Mhlanga acknowledged that there are some challenges that schools are facing, and these include the issue of overcrowded classroom.

“We saw that some schools experienced high number of learners who have come through. And there is no space to accommodate them,”said Mhlanga.

The spokesperson said the department is making plans to accommodate all learners in making sure that they all learn on the same day.

“And now plans are being made to change the timetable to allow for a platinum timetable which will ensure that all the learners get to learn on the same day. But we also saw in other parts of the province (Gauteng) that there are some schools which did not have enough furniture so they are waiting. Some learners don’t have what they need to continue with education.”

Mhlanga said that the majority of schools were able to commence with learning.

“The majority of the schools have been able to commence with learning. We went to schools where teaching and learning is taking place and it’s all quiet and things are going on as normal. So, it’s not the same scenario everywhere, in some instances were planning did not happen as expected there still some challenges that needs to be sorted out but we have given them until this week to resolve all those outstanding issues.”

With all the challenges facing the schools, Western Cape Provincial Minister of Education, Debbie Schäfer said that the Western Cape government is providing support to teachers and learners.

Schäfer acknowledged that some schools will be overcrowded, however, they will monitor those cases individually.

Meanwhile, the National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) has welcomed the DBE’s announcement to have learners attending daily.

“NAPTOSA welcomes the final decision by the minister Angie Motshekga that all learners must return to school today. As a union, we have been very vocal about learners returning to school this year,” said NAPTOSA’s Thirona Moodley.

However, the union’s Executive Director Basil Manuel said that Department of Basic Education must address the overcrowded classrooms.

“The return to normal learning has put old challenges back into sharp focus, including inadequate school infrastructure and overcrowding.”

South African Democratic Teachers Union’s (SADTU) Head of Secretariat, Xolani Fakude said that it welcomes the full-time teaching and learning at schools. The union said that poor infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms are still an issue in the education system.

“We are experiencing challenges which are pre-COVID and these challenges relates to poor infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms.

Bokamoso Secondary School in Seshego Zone 2, is one of the schools struggling with overcrowded classroom.”

School Principal, Titus Setlau said that full-time learning will help teachers to keep up with the curriculum as opposed to two years back when rotational learning was implemented.

“For us as teachers it helps to keep the curriculum going because if they all come to school it is easy for us to continue with the curriculum as it should. Unlike last year where we had to cut out some of the things due to rotational learning,” Setlau said.  

–Inside Education

VOICES FROM AFRICA Angela Tabiri, who researches quantum algebra at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Accra, was a PhD student at the University of Glasgow, UK, when she launched Femafricmaths in 2018.

The network shares the stories of African female mathematicians through video interviews posted on social media. The vision is to help young girls become confident in pursuing careers in mathematics and related fields. Tabiri’s profile is the third of eight in which African women share their science-career stories with Nature.

I graduated from the University of Ghana in Accra with a combined degree in economics and mathematics. One of my mentors told me about the opportunity to study for a master’s degree at AIMS, a network of centres of excellence across Africa, which had just opened a site in Accra.

That was a turning point for me. It was like being immersed in a 24-hour learning environment. They bring in renowned lecturers from around the world to live there and teach three-week intensive courses. It was tough, with assignments due every Saturday at midnight. But I liked doing the challenging bits. That training also helped me to acquire digital and presentation skills.

I decided to apply to the University of Glasgow for a PhD. But that meant that I needed funding. I applied for and won a Faculty for the Future fellowship from the Schlumberger Foundation, which provides funding for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from low-income countries to study at leading universities around the world. The foundation is looking for female leaders — you have to have academic excellence, but also show a commitment to promoting women in STEM in your home country.

In Glasgow, I really grew in terms of my skills and abilities. I also realized the power of social media to showcase and promote my research online. There is an audience out there looking for something beyond the ‘maths is difficult’ narrative.

I started the Femafricmaths initiative because I didn’t see many mathematicians that were people of colour, and particularly women — it’s not a narrative for most girls in Africa. Femafricmaths is a network of African female mathematicians who highlight their different career paths through social media and promote the study of maths at schools.

I returned to Ghana in 2019 and started a postdoctoral position at AIMS. Often, in the field of maths, you might be the only female in a workplace team and that means that you have to be a bit tough. When I was teaching, instead of ‘Doctor’ the students called me ‘Madame’. Colleagues made comments about me starting a family and said that I might never get married. There’s a cultural pressure of ‘What are you doing competing in the space of men? You should be in the kitchen.’

Women should find their voice. People will always find ways to bully you or look down on you. Whatever environment I’m in, I need to find my voice and speak up.

Once you know what you want to do, carve your own niche. I’m good at algebra, but I’m also good at science communication and helping girls to follow STEM studies. So I developed myself in those areas — there are so many things I bring to the table. Find your voice, develop your skills and then when people downplay your abilities on the basis of gender, let all your success speak for you.

One challenge in abstract maths research is staying motivated. I tell myself that my research will enable technology to be built 100 years from now. So I had better make sure my work is true and accurate, so that it can be picked up when needed. I also teach pure maths to people who want to become engineers and computer scientists. They need to be taught well.

Maths research is hard — you have to be patient and determined to keep coming back to the same problem and trying it in different ways. The answer might not come to you for years. But, when you finally have a discovery and something eventually works — I don’t even know how to describe that feeling.

-Nature.com

IN a place where books are paramount, children don’t always find relatable characters.

Malachi Eddie, 12, has never had a Black teacher. He said he’s only seen one Black woman lead a classroom, and it wasn’t his. He told News 8 he believes it would be beneficial to have a Black teacher because it would give him someone to identify with.

“I would be able to relate to that teacher a lot more,” said Malachi Eddie, a student at City High Middle School. “They may even teach me stuff that might be more helpful than if other teachers taught me stuff, and that would be really cool.”

Data from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows Black students who have at least one Black teacher by third grade are 13% more likely to graduate from high school and 19% more likely to enroll in college than their Black peers who don’t have any Black teachers.

“It socializes children to an extent they don’t even realize,” said Eddie’s mom, Anissa.

She added that diversity in the classroom would benefit white students too.

“To have that in a teacher can disrupt stereotypes, can dispel myths and can really help them to have a personal reference point when they think about a whole cultural group,” said Anissa Eddie.

About 32% of students enrolled in Grand Rapids Public Schools are Black. Of the 1,022 teachers who work in the district, 6% are Black. Most of them work with elementary students.

Superintendent Leadriane Roby said she is working to recruit and retain more Black teachers, but it’s an uphill climb. 

A spokesperson for the district said that work is a part of the district’s Strategic Theme No. 5 of the new GRPS Strategic Plan, which focuses on talent retention and recruitment.

“From a societal standpoint, we have beat up on teachers, both literally and culturally, where it doesn’t always feel appealing,” said Roby. “We have some work to do in GRPS.”

Roby said low pay, a lack of respect and unpleasant memories as Black, grade-school students also discourage Black people from becoming educators.

“Black and brown students are more likely to be identified for special education or remedial supports, ” said Roby. “That sends a message, too, again, that’s not for me.”

Research shows one of the best ways to encourage and inspire Black children is to hire more Black male teachers. There are only 14 of them teaching in GRPS, compared to 49 Black women teaching in the district.

“When you have a male teacher of color, it’s like a unicorn,” said Roby.

Imagine if that character existed in Malachi Eddie’s story and how empowered he would feel seeing himself in his teacher.

“If they can do it, I can do it,” said Malachi Eddie.

Perhaps it could motivate him to become an educator, making grade school one of the best chapters of his life.

“I just think that would be really cool and really amazing to have a Black teacher,” said Malachi Eddie.

-WOODTV.com