Pupils from the rural areas wanting to to become scientists and engineers will now have a better chance to realise their dreams, after a R2.5-million investment by the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor).
Armscor, the arms procurement agency of the South African Department of Defence, together with with the University of Fort Hare (UFH), have formed a partnership to implement and enhance learner development and make available resources to encourage pupils from rural areas to excel in science, mathematics and technology.
Yesterday, Armscor and UFH sealed their partnership when they signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA).
Speaking at the MoA ceremony at UFH’s Institutional Advancement Centre in East London, the general manager of human resources at Armscor Solomzi Mbada said the R2.5-million was start-up funding for the first three years of the joint venture and would be used for learner support programmes.
He said the funding would be used to implement and enhance science and maths learner development programmes, the establishment of a spring school, and establishing ergonomics and related studies at UFH under the department of human movement studies (HMS).
Mbada said one of the main objectives of the partnership was to produce more “competent black engineers and scientists”, especially from rural areas, to transform the defence force.
“We have been failing to attract black people, especially those from a rural background. Through this partnership we are hoping to fill that gap,” said Mbada.
The manager of the science foundation programme at UFH, Phumezo Kwinana, said the partnership fell under their centenary legacy project titled “Performance improvement of rural-based science schools using modern technology”.
Kwinana said the partnership would help UFH provide a solid mastery of maths and science through technology-enhanced learning to high school pupils to ensure they qualified for entry into engineering, science and technology.
“UFH will be a hub to develop feeder schools for the production of quality pupils to enrol for science fields of interest for both UFH and Armscor,” said Kwinana.
Kwinana said the first fruits of this partnership was a R435000 bursary fund awarded to five students in the faculty of science and agriculture this year.
A total of 60 rural schools from the province will also benefit from the spring school planned for this year.
UFH vice-chancellor Dr Mvuyo Tom said the introduction of ergonomics and related studies at UFH will cater for Armscor’s military needs and the university’s needs.
“This is a symbiotic relationship. In the long run, we will be able to produce ergonomists,” said Tom.
Dr Maya van Gent from UFH’s Human Movement Studies said currently only Rhodes University offered ergonomics.
According to Kwinana, some of the initiatives that will be birthed from this partnership in future include the introduction of a pre-engineering degree, the development of computer science and information and communications technology-related units to uplift teaching and learning standards, and possible collaborations with the East London Industrial Development Zone. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
Armscor, UFH join forces to help rural pupils
Armscor, the arms procurement agency of the South African Department of Defence, together with with the University of Fort Hare (UFH), have formed a partnership to implement and enhance learner development and make available resources to encourage pupils from rural areas to excel in science, mathematics and technology.
Yesterday, Armscor and UFH sealed their partnership when they signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA).
Speaking at the MoA ceremony at UFH’s Institutional Advancement Centre in East London, the general manager of human resources at Armscor Solomzi Mbada said the R2.5-million was start-up funding for the first three years of the joint venture and would be used for learner support programmes.
He said the funding would be used to implement and enhance science and maths learner development programmes, the establishment of a spring school, and establishing ergonomics and related studies at UFH under the department of human movement studies (HMS).
Mbada said one of the main objectives of the partnership was to produce more “competent black engineers and scientists”, especially from rural areas, to transform the defence force.
“We have been failing to attract black people, especially those from a rural background. Through this partnership we are hoping to fill that gap,” said Mbada.
The manager of the science foundation programme at UFH, Phumezo Kwinana, said the partnership fell under their centenary legacy project titled “Performance improvement of rural-based science schools using modern technology”.
Kwinana said the partnership would help UFH provide a solid mastery of maths and science through technology-enhanced learning to high school pupils to ensure they qualified for entry into engineering, science and technology.
“UFH will be a hub to develop feeder schools for the production of quality pupils to enrol for science fields of interest for both UFH and Armscor,” said Kwinana.
Kwinana said the first fruits of this partnership was a R435000 bursary fund awarded to five students in the faculty of science and agriculture this year.
A total of 60 rural schools from the province will also benefit from the spring school planned for this year.
UFH vice-chancellor Dr Mvuyo Tom said the introduction of ergonomics and related studies at UFH will cater for Armscor’s military needs and the university’s needs.
“This is a symbiotic relationship. In the long run, we will be able to produce ergonomists,” said Tom.
Dr Maya van Gent from UFH’s Human Movement Studies said currently only Rhodes University offered ergonomics.
According to Kwinana, some of the initiatives that will be birthed from this partnership in future include the introduction of a pre-engineering degree, the development of computer science and information and communications technology-related units to uplift teaching and learning standards, and possible collaborations with the East London Industrial Development Zone. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
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