New science laboratory donated to primary school

A DONATION of a fully furnished and equipped science laboratory at Ludwe Ngamlana Primary School in Khayelitsha from the SA Medical and Education (SAME) Foundation will help facilitate the provision of the curriculum and create future scientists.

SAME foundation chief executive Trevor Pols announced this at the handover event, which was the last for the foundation’s Western Cape projects. The laboratory is one of 12 education development projects undertaken across the country by SAME this year, to the tune of R11 531 000.

The SAME Foundation is an NPO that implements high-impact development projects in public education and health-care facilities, with the objective of creating an environment where quality education and health care is available to everyone.

Pols said: “Investing in science and technology is vital for the future of young South African learners. As we enter the fourth industrial revolution, entrants to the workforce are expected to have some form of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) literacy. Presumably, 80% of prospective jobs will require some form of STEM education in 2020.

“Providing a new science lab in such an underprivileged township community such as Khayelitsha provides the proper facilities for eager and initiating students to expose themselves to STEM subjects.”

Ludwe Ngamlana Primary principal Noloyiso Mtimba-Dube said that owing to overcrowding and under-resourcing, the school could not provide an adequate science classroom to properly teach pupils. The school has more than 1 300 pupils from Town 3 and surrounding areas.

Mtimba-Dube expressed her gratitude to the foundation and the donors and reiterated how the school would steward the new science laboratory well.

“We will use the science centre wisely, maintain the resources, train our teachers and teach our learners to be better citizens to face the world with confidence and better scientists of the 21st century.

“We will make sure it’s not a white elephant as we already a time table in place for 2020. Trainings have been set for educators for the first week of the school opening in 2020.”