STEM Racing programme to open floodgates to racing talents
As South Africa faces what Dr Sizwe Nxasana of the Sifiso Learning Group described as a “serious crisis” in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the group hopes to have an impact wider than racing with the introduction of the STEM Racing programme, formerly known as F1 in Schools.
Despite a severe lack of enrollment in STEM subjects and courses, Nxasana contended that there is no shortage of potential in this field in South Africa.
"One of the things that we're not short of, particularly in the township and rural schools, is talent. There's plenty of talent. What we are short of is opportunity," he said in a discussion with Lights Out Africa.
Opportunity, Nxasana explained, is precisely what frames the Sifiso Learning Group’s initial aim for the programme – to deploy it in schools that serve impoverished communities.
"We are going to be working particularly in non-fee-paying schools which cater to the poor. Very often initiatives such as this are limited only to schools that cater for families that can afford private schools," he said.
The group has worked with 115 schools all over South Africa in the past two years, but will be facilitating a targeted rollout of the STEM Racing programme, said Nxasana.
"We're starting with primary schools and high schools, particularly in Gauteng as well as the Free State — two of the nine provinces — and then we'll scale from there."
The Sifiso Learning Group aims to broaden horizons for thousands of South African children, as Nxasana noted.
“What this does is present opportunities for young people to say, ‘OK, there's actually another world out there. There's a global world out there.’ So people are not just limited in their view to what is happening in their village or in their township. They'll be competing globally in Singapore or elsewhere as they participate in STEM races.”
Nxasana explained that the group has seen incredible success thus far, naming one example from South Africa’s Free State province.
"One of the schools we're working with in the Free State comes from a rural area. They've been all the way internationally competing in coding and robotics — something that teachers and learners never thought was even possible for them, but it's possible."
Aside from the successes of schools, Nxasana said that individuals also draw great benefit from the programme.
"Students who probably are more reserved, maybe not expressing their views in the classroom — suddenly, when you introduce something like STEM racing, those children find expression through creating miniature cars," he said.
Watch Nxasana's full interview with Lights Out today at 17:30 on Network Television (NTV) – DStv 285 and GOtv 25 – as well as www.oneuptwo.com
