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DEDICATED: PhD student Peter Malatji PHOTO: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

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PhD student Peter Malatji, who runs a science project in his home village Seabe Village, Marapyane, inspires pupils in the area to look beyond their circumstances and to look to science to better their lives.

Malatji's love for science drove him to start a science project at his Seabe High School, where he matriculated in 1999.

"Many pupils do not know about science. They think it is a difficult subject. Science is fun and doable," he said.

Malatji, who is studying chemistry at the University of Cape Town, is working with six high schools in the area and hopes to increase the number of pupils who participate in his programme.

There are about 120 pupils taking part in the science project.

He said only 40 pupils from one school (Seabe) could be catered for in the science competition due to a lack of funds. In the competition pupils are given topics to investigate and then make their presentations.

"Going forward our plan is to take five top students from schools and put them in the programme," Malatji said.

Since Malatji is based in Cape Town, he relies on teachers and principals to ensure the smooth running of the programme.

"I try to focus on school work during the day (on weekdays), while in the afternoon I spend an extra two to three hours doing  planning for my projects," the married father of a three-year-old boy said.

Though the number of participants was not what Malatji and sponsors Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) representatives had expected, they were happy with the work the pupils had done.

Malatji was particularly happy with Keletso Lebese, 15, whom he mentors and whose project won the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists regional competition.

The girl's project, called the Power Off, Hydro Lights On system, took second prize at provincial level. The invention is a backup plan that can be used as an electricity supply system when lights go out.

Next year, Malatji said, he would launch the Magaeng Developers for Science and Engineering, which is aimed at creating an enabling environment for pupils in rural areas to excel in science subjects so that they follow careers in science, engineering and technology.

RSC northern section chairman Ian Bratt commended Malatji for empowering pupils.

"We are going from strength to strength and we have Peter to thank for that. The competition this year was of a high standard," he said.

School principal Mmagomotswako Moagi said though the subject was challenging, they encouraged pupils to enrol in it.

Comments

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Sat May 25 15:57:30 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 29, 2012

Socrates

I cant agree with you more sir, science and Math are doable and should be seen in everything we do on our daily lives. we should be able to see how science and art combine to make life easier on our daily interaction, e.g a cellphone is both a scientific and artistic item, we should be able to see all subjects within that object then we we love the subjects more
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Oct 29, 2012

Shredder

Things are happening in this village. I was left with jaws dropped a couple of months when I went there. The people there are doing it. There is a place Dikolobeng, I think it is a lodge or bed and breakfast. What a beautiful place. Then there is Serite Park. I could believe there was such a beautiful place in that rural area.
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Oct 29, 2012

Shredder

@a couple of months BACK when - Eish Monday
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Oct 29, 2012

Mxaueht

Good work Sir. I remember when i was doing my matric (1996), we were forced to register maths and science on SG level because everybody (including teachers and the principals) saw these subjects as kilimanjaro mountain. I hope your work is acknoledged and apprciated by the incompetant policy maker or our so call failing education system.
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Oct 29, 2012

Pabi

keep up the good work broer, and to those who knows other subjects please help other learners to improve.
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Oct 29, 2012

MommaC

I wonder what Malatji's thesis will be on?

Marvelous how much one person can be such a positive influence. May he go from strength to strength
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Oct 29, 2012

MGEEZ

This is good work Peter; keep it up. Indeed Science an Math are doable, the problem is that our children have been programmed wrongly and they need a serious paradigm shifting and it starts with individuals like you. Thank you for being a breath of fresh air!!!
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Oct 29, 2012

Shredder

MGEEZ - I have been trying to help my nephew with Maths, it is discouraging. The boy is just scared of the damn subject. When we go throw the exercises, it's like he is just saying when are we going to finish. LOL. How I loved Maths and Science at school. I hate this memory driven subjects like history. I like solving problems.
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Oct 29, 2012

Tobby

welldone boy, many are jealous don't want to do that and the more you teach others the more God gives you knowledge, keep up the good work.
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Oct 29, 2012

MommaC

There is a lovely story in Times today about two schools who sent a camera up with a weather balloon. When we were kids we'd make turbines and stuff. That is how you show kids that science is quite easy. It looks scary but once you get involved in the practical aspect and get to see how logically predictable it is, it is really quite easy.
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