Thursday: 22 May  2003

This site will be updated on: 29 May 2003 at 17:00

Youth - Jeug

• Fun with science
• Koppe in die wolke
• La Rochelle team tops in quiz

A GROUP of American scientists, led by Prof Julia Thompson of the physics department at the Universities of Pittsburgh and Missouri (in St Louis), recently visited New Orleans Secondary in Paarl to present a science exploratory to senior students.

The programme is organised in conjunction with the US National Science Foundation, iThemba Labs, Hermanus Magnetic Observatory, University of the Western Cape and the Universities of Pittsburgh, Missouri and Columbia.

High, the pupils will present their own exploratory to the juniors in the third semester.

Trevor Daniels, curriculum advisor for science, is excited about the programme. He hopes it will encourage more pupils, especially girls, to consider science as a future career.

The programme will now be taken further by the local institutions.

MET hul koppe hoog in die wolke het leerders van plaaslike hoërskole onlangs by New Orleans Sekondêre Skool bymekaar gekom, waar die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens die model van 'n Boeing ten toon gestel het as deel van die "Vulindlela" projek.

Dit is 'n Nguni woord wat beteken "om die pad oop te maak" en baie droom nou van vliegtuie loods.

Die projek besoek gemeenskappe in landelike gebiede, townships en informele woonbuurte.

Tuli Mkatshwa, bestuurder van Gemeenskapsake van SAL, het gesê dat dié projek, wat in 1996 reeds geloods is, gemik is daarop om leerders in veral voorheen benadeelde gemeenskappe in te lig oor die moontlikhede van 'n loopbaan in die vliegwese.

"Daar is te veel stereotipes oor watter soort mense aanvaar word in die vliegwese en ons wil daardie stereotipe verander.

Ons wil leerders sover as moontlik inlig oor 'n loopbaan in die vliegwese en hulle daarvan bewus maak dat hulle, met die nodige opleiding en kwalifikasies, ook eendag 'n vlieënier kan wees," het sy gesê.

Brosjures en loopbaaninligting word aan die skole gelewer.

Skoolhoof Dennis von Willing het gesê dat die leerders entoesiasties was oor die moontlikheid van 'n loopbaan in die lugwese.

"Hulle belangstelling was definitief geprikkel en daar is 'n hele paar leerders wat nou besef dat hulle ook tot dié bedryf kan toetree," het hy gesê.

THE La Rochelle Girls' High School from Paarl took top honours at the recent interschools news quiz, beating teams from 34 other schools in the Peninsula. They were the runners up last year.

The 140 pupils in teams of four gathered at Groote Schuur High School last week to compete in the 11th annual Caltex/SAIIA (South African Institute of International Affairs) Interschools Quiz.

At the end of the evening La Rochelle took top honours. In second spot were DF Malan High School with Belgravia High School third. Islamia College, who won the competition in 2002, finished in fourth place.

In preparation for the event, participants were required to study news reports and articles published in the Cape Times and Die Burger newspapers that provided the basis for the questions posed in the quiz.

The quiz aims to raising the awareness of local and international affairs amongst scholars in the Western Cape.

Caltex provided increased support to this year's competition enabling schools from as far afield as Paarl, Stellenbosch and Khayelitsha the opportunity to contest the prestigious title.

Each team member received a certificate of participation. 

Springfield Convent Senior School came fourth overall, whilst three schools, Rustenburg Girls' High, Cedar House from Kenilworth and Livingstone High School in Claremont all tied for the fifth spot.

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