Page 41 - 25 Reasons

When learners have access to good science labs, they get to test things rather than just learn the theory of a subject from textbooks
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

f schools had modern laboratories, it would Build it and they will HOW PARKTOWN GIRLS
entice more learners to take science as a
Isubject, and perhaps go into the crucial come – that’s proved true GOT A SCIENCE CENTRE
fields of science, technology, engineering and Tracey Megom, the principal of Parktown High
mathematics after school. for a girls’ school that, with School for Girls, says the idea for the centre was
This was one of the reasons the Anglo born years ago, but the school initially struggled to
American Chairman’s Fund, now part of Anglo help from Anglo American’s come up with the money to build it, so parents
American’s Group Foundation, helped pay for a Chairman’s Fund, built a started fundraising and looking for partners.
science laboratory at one of Gauteng’s top “We have a large number of girls doing physical
government schools. And it seems to be working. state-of-the-art science science until Grade 12 and, to get the best out of
In 2015, when construction started on a state- them and to pique their interest in the subject so
of-the-art science centre, 32% of the matric group laboratory. The result, that they consider these fields for tertiary study
at Parktown High School for Girls in Johannesburg and beyond, we needed to ensure they were
was taking physical science as a subject. Alison Visser finds out, is learning in a conducive environment,” she says.
This rose to 40% in 2016, when the science The Anglo American Group Foundation is one
centre was officially opened. Since then, there has that more girls are now of the dedicated instruments through which the
been a steady increase in the number of learners company channels its corporate social investment
taking science in matric. Last year, 48% of the studying science spend. Its multimillion-rand investment presented
matric group took physical science as a subject, and an opportunity to open up the science,
scored an average of 70%, with 27% of the group technology, engineering and maths fields as viable
getting distinctions. woman leaders, we must be serious about our career options for young women.
Tracey Megom, the principal of Parktown Girls, facilities and what we can offer the girls who come Norman Mbazima, who was chairperson of the
says: “The centre was built as a brand-new building; to our school. If we can give them the best, then fund when the money was allocated, says:
there was nothing there before. We had two fully we can expect the best – that is what our country “Parktown Girls is one of the province’s top
functional prefab science labs – which we still use – needs.” schools, but it’s also one of the most multiracial
but we were not able to teach all our science Chiara Klinkert has had most of her high school and multiclass schools.
classes in a laboratory, which was not ideal.” science lessons in the new labs. In 2015, when she “If you look at the profiles of the pupils who go
Megom says the science centre is “a beautiful, arrived at Parktown Girls in Grade 8, they were still to that school, you will find that some of their
modern building” that contains four fully functional, building the science centre. Now in Grade 12, parents are domestic workers or gardeners who
state-of-the-art laboratories, and which “blends Klinkert describes the laboratory with enthusiasm. work in the Parktown area. People often think that
incredibly well with our 96-year-old school building”. “It’s a beautiful building, quite big, and there are it’s an affluent school given its location, but,
Parktown Girls is one of Gauteng’s top- only four classrooms in it. Every classroom even has actually, a growing number of the pupils it serves
performing schools. It is the top feeder school to a smartboard for interactive activities.” are children who would ordinarily not be able to
the University of the Witwatersrand, and boasts a A subject such as science is easier to grasp when get that kind of quality education.”
consistent 100% matric pass rate. you are able to experience it, she says. Following Anglo American’s contribution, the
“As one of the top girls’ schools in the country, “It makes learning a lot easier – you get to really construction of two conjoined laboratory and
we have a responsibility to ensure that our girls are see things in person and experiment for yourself. classroom facilities for life sciences, physics and
prepared for the future, and we want to see them You get to investigate, rather than learn out of chemistry began in 2015, and the science centre
excel in careers in the science, technology, textbooks,” says Klinkert. was opened in late 2016 to the school’s 1 100
engineering and mathematics fields – we want “I think that, when you’re actually doing learners.
our girls to become leading women in these fields,” experiments and interacting, it enriches you and . For more information on the fund, visit
says Megom. you figure things out for yourself. I don’t think I tshikululu.org.za, call 011 544 0300 or email
“If we are serious about producing strong would have taken science if we didn’t have a lab.” aacf@tshikululu.org.za
ANGLO AMERICAN 25 REASONS TO BELIEVE 41