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02 December 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
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Prof Koos Albertyn handing over a donation of eleven microscopes to Anzell Spelding, a teacher at Luckhoff Combined School.

With a donation of microscopes, the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently contributed to better quality education for a group of 60 learners in the Life Sciences class at the Luckhoff Combined School.

Anzell Spelding, a teacher at the school – with a newly built science laboratory but little equipment – contacted the department a while ago to enquire whether they have any microscopes available to donate. As the department recently acquired a new set of microscopes for undergraduate teaching in the field of Microbiology, ten fully functional microscopes and two other microscopes (for parts) were donated to motivate the learners to choose science as a career.

“This donation puts scientific instruments in the hands of children at an early age, opening their eyes to the possibility of careers in science. Exposing learners to science at an early age can spark enthusiasm and a love of learning that might otherwise never appear,” said Koos Albertyn, Professor in the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology.

“These microscopes will enable learners to look at specimens at a microscopic level and therefore access the wonders of natural science at the tiniest and most fascinating level,” he added. 

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New Head for the School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology Education
2013-02-27

27 February 2013

Prof Sechaba Mahlomoholo from the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State was recently appointed as Head of the School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology Education (SMNSTE).

As head of the school, his duties will include improving the learning, teaching and curricula of maths, natural sciences and technology at school and at post-school levels.

“The solution seems to be to move the SMNSTE into a very intensive praxis mode where, through our high-level research-based classroom practices, we can formulate strategies together with teachers, parents, learners and the Department of Education, to enhance learner performance in the abovementioned subjects. Our plan, therefore, is to facilitate the establishment of closely knit learning communities of practice around these three subjects, with the SMNSTE being the epicentre of thought and action, while schools, mainly in the Free State, will serve as other nodal points for this intensive praxis. We believe that the SMNSTE will come to its fullness once student and learner performance is respectable, and as such positions our country favourably among the community of nations. SMNSTE is a national facility which has to respond to national challenges effectively.”

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