Maths boffs aim for nationals
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EIGHT pupils from Alphendale Secondary School have been selected to compete in the national Maths, Science and Technology (MST) competition in the North West next month.
The school moved to the national level after taking first place at the provincial leg on Monday afternoon.
The MST competition took place in Mdantsane and was hosted by the Maths Centre, a non-profit organisation that strives to improve maths, science and technology education in South Africa. The organisation is spread across all provinces, aiming to equip teachers, pupils and parents with learning material and programmes that will further develop learner competency and performance from Grades R to Grade 12.
Project co-ordinator Sikhulile Tshuma said this was the first time the competition was held in the Eastern Cape. He said the department of education had provided a list of previously disadvantaged secondary and technical schools.
Bucule Technical High, David Mama High, Kusile Comprehensive, Alphendale Secondary and Wongalethu Secondary School were invited to take part in the competition.
Tshuma said schools were given a brief early in the year, where they had to develop a water reticulation system that would pump water 30 metres deep from the ground for a community in water crisis. Pupils were also required to choose a method to purify the water and identify maths and science concepts involved in the process, which would be followed by a report.
The schools were given three months to complete their projects and present them at the provincial competition to a panel of judges made up of officials from the department of education.
“We are hoping to grow the competition bigger with more participants.
“Of the schools selected, only two were technical schools. The pupils were very creative and created really impressive structures considering their grades,” said Tshuma.
The winning Alphendale team was made up of Grade 8 pupils Yulan Stewart, Gwaine Gribble, Keaton Joubert, Keanu Grey, Ryan Baatjies, Eathan Johannes, Mick Fritz and Runeeko Kasper.
Alphendale principal Gavin Appollis said the school was proud of the pupils, who had worked hard and diligently. He said the school’s technology club, which mainly consisted of Grade 8 pupils, was doing well. A confident Appollis said that they would remain champs for the next five years.
“The competition was done in a short period of time but the pupils worked really hard and diligently under the supervision of their technical engineering teachers.”
Each team received participation certificates, calculators and pens and pencils. The top three schools won trophies and shopping vouchers worth R100.
The winning team will compete in the national leg of the competition, in Kimberley on December 1.
The NGO has made a public appeal to anyone who can assist with travel expenses for the winning team to contact the Math Centre’s provincial manager, Pedro Martin, on 082-6766011 or project co-ordinator Sikhulile Tshuma on 073-609-4205.