By Nokwanda Dlangamandla
07:09:2022

The Gauteng Department of Education launched the Dr Molefi Oliphant Mathematics, Science, and ICT School of Specialisation in Bophelong, Vanderbijlpark. Schools of specialisation seek to address the critical skills shortage in prioritised areas, particularly in engineering, commerce and entrepreneurship, Mathematics, Science and ICT, and Sport and Creative Arts.

Radio Islam International discussed with the Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona.

According to Mabona, the Gauteng province has 20 schools that evaluate Engineering, Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Med Science and ICT, Sports, Performing and Creative Arts.

These schools aim to enhance skills and essential skills while learners are still in the classroom. It seeks to ensure that it gives necessary leadership skills and imparts skills they can utilise outside the classroom.

“For instance, to make an example today, Learners are displaying what we call a smart home, which had a biometric fingerprint system coded by learners. So to understand that the learners use this technology to code and create a digital guitar. And also, they created a water dispenser that senses when a plant runs dry in terms of needing water. So those are the skills that they will use. I mean, when we talk about robotics, they exhibited a robotic car that they coded remotely, and they can use a mobile phone to move it around to that extent. Some also have created a calculator, which will then be used on their tablet to an extent. The calculator will also have a quiz. Those are the things that give you an indication that one way or the other when they leave the classroom, they should be in a position to go into the corporate world; some can be entrepreneurs and open their companies,” said Mabona.

Mabona added that they have multi-certification that these students will get when they finish their matric that they can utilise.

He stated that they take students according to their results and performance. They are assessed and tested before being enrolled in the school.

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