M Mangena: Launch of National Science Week 2007

7 May 2007

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