The installation of a brand new and fully equipped science laboratory, valued at R810 000, at one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most remote high schools is poised to transform its already successful science education programme.
Siqalukubona High School, opened in 1996, is located in the deeply rural Phondwane area of Pongola and last year (2024) achieved remarkable mathematics and science results, with Physical Science learners attaining a 93% pass rate and life sciences learners achieving 100%, despite never having enjoyed the undoubted benefits of conducting hands-on laboratory experiments.
The school has long offered two subject packages, a commercial subject stream and a science stream. In spite of lacking a laboratory in which to conduct science experiments, it has consistently demonstrated academic excellence in the face of severe resource constraints and an ability to produce competitive learners regardless of the poor infrastructure around which its staff operates.
The introduction of a comprehensive science laboratory at the school comes as a result of generous funding by the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT).
Commenting at a recent event to mark the official handover of the new facility, SAMCT representative, Mr Shabir Chohan, said: “Science is vital for enriched levels of understanding and improvement concerning the world of today. An enhanced science education has the potential to excite the imagination and inspire, develop valuable life skills, and enable young people to make informed decisions which assist in shaping a better future.”
He stressed that STEM education, encompassing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, was a crucial component of modern education, especially in South Africa.
“This new science lab will enhance STEM education, benefiting both Siqalukubona High School and those in neighbouring areas. It will offer a catalyst for the integration of these disciplines, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and innovation. The end goal is to better prepare learners for their future careers and to give impetus to potential economic growth and technological advancement,” Mr Chohan added.
It is widely acknowledged that science education is important for both individual and societal advancement, equipping today’s learners with critical thinking and problem-solving skills and nurturing curiosity about the natural world.
Mr Chohan said: “The SAMCT believes implicitly in the importance of science and maths education in South Africa – especially pertaining to historically disadvantaged schools and learners. By supporting scientific literacy through such interventions as science laboratories today, science education becomes better placed to empower young learners to understand and navigate the complexities of the world of tomorrow. We were, accordingly, very pleased to be in a position to contribute to this cause by funding the new lab at Siqalukubona High School – a remote, rural, and severely disadvantaged school, whose learners deserve the same opportunities as their urban and more fortunate counterparts.”
The SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al Baraka Bank, for the creation, marketing, and distribution of a suite of Shariah Funds. The organisation provides funding, services, and other resources to improve the lives of the vulnerable, deprived, and disadvantaged. It has successfully delivered sizeable assistance solutions throughout South Africa – irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work to support needy organisations in the fields of healthcare, social development, poverty alleviation, and education.
The organisation has long served as a pivotal conduit for the channelling of funding, vital services, and resources to approved public benefit organisations, and remains committed to catalysing positive change and creating a lasting impact on the development and upliftment of, especially, disadvantaged individuals and communities. Its funds are distributed to help improve the health and development of deserving people and organisations, irrespective of race or religion.
The organisation is acclaimed for its transformative role, directing substantial donations towards multi-faceted initiatives, spanning education, poverty alleviation, empowerment, community upliftment, and sustainability programmes in its quest to foster social equity and ensure the well-being of the needy.
Mr Chohan said the SAMCT was privileged to have partnered with Siqalukubona High School, saying: “This is a school with highly motivated members of staff who have overcome immense barriers to instill in learners a love of and passion for science – a fact clearly obvious from learners’ academic results here. We believe that the advent of this new science lab will provide the stepping stone for learners to better achieve their long-term academic and career goals. I have no doubt that learners here will go on to make a positive contribution in the development of innovative solutions for pressing scientific issues.”
He concluded by stressing that the traditional theory-driven learning approach, with learners sitting in a classroom, taking notes, and sitting examinations to show their science knowledge, had been effectively relegated to the past.
“We advocate for a more hands-on and experiential science learning experience throughout South African schools, affording learners the opportunity to physically experience scientific concepts, understand them more deeply, and achieve even better examination results.”
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For more information about the SAMCT or its Siqalukubona High School science laboratory donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Executive
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za
www.samct.co.za