Date: 07/05/2007

Source: Department of Science and Technology

Title: Mangena: Launch of National Science Week 2007

Address by the Minister of Science and Technology, honourable Mosibudi Mangena, at the launch of the National Science Week 2007, Tshiya Education Resource Centre, Phuthaditjhaba, Free State

Honourable Premier of the Free State Province, Ms Beatrice Marshoff
MEC for Education, Ms Tsopo and all MECs present
Members of the Provincial Legislature present
Executive Mayor, Dr B Mzangwa
Senior officials, educators, learners, parents
Ladies and gentlemen

A National Science Week (NSW) celebration is our own special annual imbizo in science and technology, which takes place over a seven-day period in all the nine provinces. This year it is our singular honour and privilege to launch this important event in our national science calendar here in the Free State.

On its eighth year now the NSW has been cemented as the premier science awareness campaign in the country and has continued to draw increasing numbers of learners, educators and members of the general public to its annual events.

We are infinitely proud of this growing stature of the NSW, given the fact that our main focal goal during this week is to promote science and technology across the entire nation.

Today I can say without any fear of contradiction that there is a growing awareness of the importance of science and technology in our daily lives, partly achieved through the NSW celebrations since inception in 2000. Although high-school learners have been attending NSW activities, a special attempt has been made to attract more primary-school learners this year.

Drawing from some of the lessons I learnt while attending the Flanders Science Week, strategies have been put in place to improve participation of parents, science councils and higher education institutions. The exhibitions by science councils and higher education institutions attest to the improved presence of these institutions in the NSW events.

In the short space of time that I have been here in Phuthaditjhaba I have been pleasantly exposed to interactive science, engineering and technology exhibits and displays that are breathtaking to say the least.

Particularly this year and since 2005 the implementation design of the NSW has included multiple sites per province, multiple activities (other than just exhibits) and implementation in permanent sites such as science centres and resource centres.

This model of NSW is now in its third year of implementation. The event was internally evaluated in 2005 and externally evaluated in 2006. Although participation has exponentially increased during this period, from 75 000 to 175 000 and 204 945, respectively in 2004, 2005 and 2006 challenges identified by both internal and external (independent) evaluations revealed the need for additional resources to increase participation by our science councils, higher education institutions (HEIs), primary schools and parents. I am happy to learn than this year's plans have greatly improved participation by these key constituencies. Representatives of these key role players are with us today.

We have said time and again but let me restate for maximum effect, 'we need to take science awareness to greater heights'. This will require greater investments in our efforts to promote science and technology literacy. Although we cannot compare ourselves with the developed world, we can take a cue from their wealth of experience.

Developed economies such as Belgium allocate more or less one percent of their total science budget to science awareness campaigns. This shows their seriousness in promoting science and technology literacy in general and recruiting more of their youth into science, engineering and technology based careers, in particular. These are goals of our youth into science strategy, which was supported by Cabinet in March, and we will be launching it next month, in June.

Our success in achieving these goals will be enhanced if the existing Department of Education (DoE) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) collaboration is strengthened by other partnerships with the private sector and civil society. I am pleased to learn that the Free State Department of Education, for instance, contributed its funds towards transporting learners and educators to this venue. They also used their financial resources to hire the tent to accommodate these multitudes of future scientists.

This is commendable indeed. It shows the DST/DoE collaboration is working very well. I should also use this opportunity to inform you that the Free State is the first province to bring about 1 300 learners to the national launch. I hope that this commitment by the province will be emulated by others.

The choice of this particular venue, the Tshiya Resource Centre, for the launch of NSW 2007 is equally important. Not only does it serve to create awareness about the resources available at this centre but also enhances the use of the resources available at resource centres to promote science and technology literacy. These centres have fully equipped laboratories and permanent staff to sustain the momentum created by the NSW.

Clearly this is one of the main goals of my Department's national rollout plan for the establishment of a Network of Science Centres (NSC), which advocates the need to link science centres with resource centres. We therefore hope that this event will, in the long run, build the capacity of the Tshiya Resource Centre to a level where it could be transformed into a science centre. This will demonstrate once more that the NSW is more than just a week dedicated to science awareness, it is also an intense period of awakening and mobilisation.

Ladies and gentlemen, science centres worldwide play an important role in mobilising society to value science, engineering and technology. And we are delighted to announce that South Africa will be hosting an International Conference on Science Centres in Developing Countries in February 2008. I invite you to work with my Department in ensuring that the conference serves as a platform to share and inspire developing countries to work together in establishing robust networks of science centres.

In addition, I encourage our leadership to take the NSW to the remote areas of our education and science systems lending true meaning to taking science to the people. Certainly presentations by Koki Kosa and Mpho Makoko would demonstrate the merit of interventions aimed at identifying and nurturing talent and potential.

Our own Lindi, a grade 11 learner, obtained silver at regional Expo competitions and bronze at national level. She will be presenting her project at the International Science Faire we will be hosting in Durban in July this year. She deserves applause!

Similarly, Mpho, a grade 12 learner, is a writer and poet and has won a number of awards including the DST/Thuthuka Written WORD Award in 2006. As you might have gathered, she has immeasurable leadership qualities. In her fairly short life, she interviewed ex-President Nelson Mandela and President Thabo Mbeki while with Lesedi FM and has been the Free State Child Ambassador between 2002 and 2004. She also deserves a round of applause!

In addition to increased participation in the NSW that I have mentioned the evaluation reports already alluded to show that a greater number of girls and Africans have been participating in the event. For example, the figures show that in 2005 and 2006, 139 014 learners (70 403 girls and 65 694 boys) and 158 905 (87 566 girls and 72 338 boys) participated in the event. In racial terms 76% of Africans, 12% of Indians, 7% of Coloureds and 5% of Whites participated.

Evaluation reports revealed the need to improve activities linked to the thrust that call for the valuing of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). The quintessential issue of concern that requires policy advocacy is the need to integrate IKS with other knowledge systems. I learn that resources have been put aside to address the IKS thrust during the NSW. The activities designed to utilise indigenous technology and African knowledge systems during the NSW is the key to unlocking the door preventing the masses from accessing mathematics, science and engineering.

These interventions should enable us to contribute towards redressing some of the imbalances in the system. However, this will depend largely on the extent to which learner participation and performance are enhanced in both our educational institutions and out of school interventions such as the DST/Thuthuka Camps and curriculum support programmes.

Evaluations also reveal a slight increase in the number of educators participating in the NSW. The number increased from 6 031 to 6 061 in the last two years, for instance. The dramatic increase in the number of members of the public participating in the event is encouraging. It increased from 27 850 to 40 070 in the last two years.

Qualitatively, participants rated interactive exhibits and workshops as having greater educational value than other activities. This shows the types of activities we should invest our resources and energies in, in order to improve science and technology literacy in our country.

I must also add, in closing, that there has also been a greater reach through the media. The radio, in particular, has demonstrated to be an effective tool in reaching especially remote areas of our country. I also believe that greater investment in IKS activities should improve this second thrust of our NSW.

Finally, it is now my pleasure to declare the NSW 2007 launched. I encourage all of you to participate actively in the activities of the NSW. Encourage your friends, family members and neighbours to join you in this exciting journey. Obtain information from your nearest Department of Education on venues and the types of activities that will be taking place during this week.

It is up to all of you to make the NSW 2007 a resounding success!

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
7 May 2007