Siemens foundation donates science kits

EIGHT High Schools in Inanda, Molweni and Pinetown were the lucky recipients of an intensive science teacher training course and Experimento Science Kits.

The science equipment was donated by Siemens Stiftung, a German foundation investing in global education and teacher training in partnership with Thomas More College.

With Experimento, Siemens Stiftung has developed an international concept for teachers and educators, which puts into practice the principle of discovery-based learning.

Through experiments, pupils engage independently with natural phenomena and learn to grasp technical and scientific inter-relations.

Experimento encompasses a diverse, curriculum-oriented selection of experiments on the subjects of energy, the environment and health, for age groups from four to 18.

Rebecca Ottmann from Siemens Stiftung said, “Science education helps leverage a country’s future potential and ensures long-term social development.

“The sooner the necessary appreciation of science and technology is cultivated in young people the better. Experimento is unique in that teachers are fully-trained in the use of the kits. Only after intensive training by skilled facilitators do they receive their kits,” she said.

They chose some of the less-resourced regions in the eThekwini Municipality, and Thomas More College as the mentor institution.

Programme facilitator, Kathryn Kure, said two of the chosen outreach schools have an ongoing relationship with Thomas More College.

“We are very impressed by the dedication that teachers from these areas have shown. They have given up their weekends to become familiar with Experimento and learn about the experiments which the kit contains.

“We are fortunate to have Thomas More College on board as our partner in this process, and they have allowed us to use their venue for the training.

“We have been incredibly fortunate to have a number of dedicated trainers, including a retired headmaster with decades of teaching science at high schools, to undertake the training process,” she said.

The final handover took place just before the Easter holidays, with representatives from Siemens, Thomas More College and the eight participating schools.

Ottmann added that science and technology education is key to social well-being, democratic participation, opportunities and successful personal development.

“We are hugely excited that this significant project has been geographically far-reaching and hugely appreciated, and has tangible impact,” she said.