Improving science education at school

The Chemistry and Education Departments at Rhodes have collaborated over the years to do some work towards improving the standard of under qualified science teachers in Graaff-Reinet and Grahamstown District. In one week two workshops were run for teachers in different subjects.

In May this year News24.com reported that “more than 1 700 South African science teachers are not qualified to teach the subject”. In June Timeslive.co.za reported that “as many as 9 229 out of the province’s 34 968 science teachers currently lack formal qualifications to teach science subjects”.

The first article referred to Physical Science teachers in the FET phase, the second article included all primary and secondary school teachers. Both of these statistics are very worrying in a country where there is a dire shortage of skills.

The first workshop was organised by these departments, but presented by Ms Rene Fourie from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Cape Town. The topic was “Mining and Mineral Resources”, a topic new to the curriculum.

Each school represented at the workshop received a resource pack containing a handbook, posters and a DVD on the topic. Among the 23 people present were representatives from the Graaff-Reinet and Grahamstown District Offices of the Eastern Cape Department of Education. Thus, resource packs will be distributed to schools as far afield as Graaff-Reinet and Somerset East.

Dr Ken Ngcoza and Mrs Joyce Sewry made use of the occasion to reward local teachers who had attended workshops in the Science teachers Workshop programme during 2009. Equipment to do titrations (retort stand, clamp, burette, pipette and three conical flasks) were handed to teachers from four schools – Nathaniel Nyaluza, Ntsika, TEM Mrwetyana and Khutliso Daniels.

In the second workshop, 28 teachers studying on the ACE (SM) (Advanced Certificate in Education (Science Method)) spent a full morning in the Chemistry laboratory. They were given a rendition of “A Pollutant’s Tale” (a popular lecture-demonstration about the gases in the atmosphere) and spent the rest of the morning doing titrations. The entire morning was run by Chemistry postgraduate students.

It was touching to learn that Ms Vuyi Makabe, a Chemistry MSc student was helping the teacher who had taught her Life Sciences at Nombulelo.

In the words of Dr Ngcoza, “The ACE science students really enjoyed all the activities and there is no doubt that today's experience will remain indelible in their minds. Besides enjoyment, they learnt many scientific concepts and skills. I hope they will in turn be able to inspire their learners who are our future scientists. Investing in them is not negotiable.”


A further development from this workshop is that the students have been invited to do “A Pollutant’s Tale” for three schools in Peddie. All this Community Engagement by the students of the Chemistry Department must hopefully do a little to improve Science Education at school.