Programme director
Sasol Executive, Mr Maurice Radebe
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen,
I feel very honoured to have been invited to this auspicious occasion, the launch of the Sasol Chemistry Curriculum Pack for Grades 10-12, and would like to deeply thank Sasol for making this possible particularly in the year that has been declared the “International Year of Chemistry” by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2008.
Attesting to the fundamental role of the art and science of chemistry, is the fact that over 1 000 people from more than 60 countries participated in the phenomenal launch of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation headquarters in Paris, on 27 to 28 January.
As we know, the goals of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people and to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry.
Today’s momentous occasion, which has rightly embraced the global theme of “Chemistry - our life, our future”, has ensured our participation as a country in these vital world-wide celebrations of chemistry. One may ask: What makes chemistry our life, our future? The answer is not too far to see. Chemistry is widely regarded as a science and discipline that explains everything around us. It has been empirically established that ‘all living processes are controlled by chemical reactions’.
It is from here that the dynamism of Sasol flows, for it touches every aspect of our lives over and above the multiplicity of chemical products and the cutting-edge technology of converting coal and gas into liquids. Contrary to the perception that it is very hard to win the support of politicians for science, I’m always delighted by the fact that from Sasol we get products ranging from paints, fertilisers, boutique bags, cellphones, medical lasers, car components and other products. Here lies the dynamism of the theme – “Chemistry - our life, our future”!
Yet we have a challenge linked to our levels of human development and specific histories, particularly in developing economies of the world. The fundamental challenge is to improve learning outcomes in gateway subjects and to raise the appreciation of science among the young.
In South Africa and elsewhere, there is a dire need for physicists, geologists and engineers.
Various studies and international testing programmes, including the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), have pointed to the underperformance of South African learners in Mathematics, Science and English.
A result of this unsettling reality a high percentage of our learners exit the school education system without having mastered the necessary knowledge and skills for self-fulfilment.
We have made a commitment as government to attend systematically to these challenges better to deal with the imperative of addressing adverse poverty by, among other things, producing appropriate skills consistent with the needs of industry and our country’s developmental goals.
Our approach in this regard is explained comprehensively in the education sector plan which we gazetted in August 2010, Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025.
Obviously, the mammoth task of increasing public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs, of encouraging interest in chemistry among young people and of generating enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry cannot be executed by government alone.
It is for this reason that we have taken a conscious decision to make education a societal issue. It is behind this backdrop that we welcome the contribution of Sasol with open arms and invite other companies to do likewise.
Our relationship with Sasol goes back to the early days of the National Curriculum Statement in 2004. In those difficult years when the nation was eagerly awaiting the birth of a new curriculum, Sasol extended a hand of friendship to the Department of Education. The company worked very closely with our subject specialists and produced material which our teachers and subject specialists in provinces still use as valuable resources. For all this our country and people are indebted to Sasol.
Education in and about chemistry is critical in addressing our everyday challenges, ranging from health, shelter, the economy and natural disasters. What the new curriculum envisages is a learner who not only remembers the facts of chemistry but who can apply the knowledge in chemistry to create a better life for all our people.
This launch is also important for another important reason. It has afforded us the privilege to celebrate with the rest of the world excellent women in science as part of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry that was awarded to Maria Sklodowska-Curie one hundred years ago. This on its own provides a rallying point effectively to encourage women and girl children to venture into these fields.
One of the greatest challenges is that the majority of our teachers do not have the required skills to teach Physical Science. The launch of the Sasol Chemistry Curriculum pack for Grades 10 - 12 is very fundamental in this regard.
We trust that other companies will follow the lead of Sasol and work with us improve the quality of education and the quality of learning outcomes.
I have no doubt that Sasol’s patriotic initiative will go a long way in enriching and deepening the appreciation and understanding of chemistry among learners and young people.
On our part, we will encourage our teachers and learners to make good use of this valuable resource.
Working together we can increase the public appreciation of chemistry and its fundamental role in meeting world needs.
Source: Department of Basic Education
