Pupils at 20 rural schools in each of KwaZulu-Natal’s 12 educational districts will be building three dimensional houses as part of the Moses Kotane Institute (MKI) I am an Engineer Competition.
The winning school stands to win and eco-friendly laboratory whilst the first runner up will take away a prize of R80 000 for school refurbishments. The school in third place will earn R50 000 for school refurbishments.
The I am an Engineer Competition was introduced recently as part of the official launch of the Moses Kotane Institute (MKI). This was established by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) to implement South Africa’s STEM Strategy and, in particular, the Maths, Science and Technology (MST) plan of the KZN Education Department.
The over-arching goal of the MKI is to contribute to economic development through implementing an interventionist strategy to improve the standard of science, technology and engineering education.
MKI spokesperson, Sbahle Simelane, explained that this was urgently needed. Currently, there is just one engineer per 3 000 South Africans (according to a 2012 survey by the Engineering Council of SA). If South Africa does not produce adequate science, technology and engineering skills, the country will not be able to implement government’s ambitious infrastructure development plan, increase industrialisation and manufacturing output or be competitive within global markets.
The shortage of graduates in these essential disciplines has been put down to the South African education system’s failure to deliver learners with adequate maths, science and technological skills for tertiary education. Currently, South Africa is ranked 111th out of 142 countries for its availability of scientists and engineers and is regarded as one of the country’s that is least likely to produce sufficient professionally skilled engineers.
“The purpose of the Fund is to promote science, technology and engineering education and skills development among historically disadvantaged learners, youth and communities.
EDTEA, in collaboration with corporate partners, will work together to establish this fund with the purpose of contributing towards funding strategic projects aimed at promoting access to science and engineering opportunities and addressing the inadequacies in the provision of science, technology and engineering education interventions to disadvantaged learners and youth,” she said.
The MKI intends to achieve this by promoting science, technology engineering and Mathematics using innovative technology as well as though school competitions, science shows and festivals, career guidance and research and innovation projects at tertiary level.
The I am an Engineer Competition is the first of these.
Simelane said research and project materials will be delivered to each of the schools shortly. The competition will begin on January 1, 2016. The schools will each have six weeks to build their Eco Friendly –house. The Durban University of Technology (DUT) will adjudicate the competition over two weeks in February, selecting the top three schools per district who will attend the prize giving with their teachers.
For more info call Nothando Zungu during office hours on 031 201 2007
