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01 June 2023
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Story Nicole Bongo
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Photo Supplied
University of the Free State students participating in one of the many projects coordinated by the Engaged Scholarship Office.
To help make a change and push for sustainable development, the University of the Free State Division of Student Affairs works with communities around Bloemfontein fostering a culture of creating sustainable solutions.
Gernus Terblanche, Kovsie Support Services and Assistant Researcher in the Division says, ‘it is important for the university to be actively involved in the community as it makes up such a large portion of the Bloemfontein and students also
represent many different communities on and off- campus.’
Terblanche said: “As an educational institution it is vital for the UFS to support and guide students towards creating innovative solutions; both local and globally. Our experience is that students often come up with real solutions that can
make a real impact in the lives of real people – and it would be crucial to support such initiatives.”
The office has worked with BloemShelter, VermiVillage, GAP Equip, National Hospital and as part of the programmes of 2022 also with Lighuis, Talita Cumi, ROC Kids and the Universitas Neighborhood association. “We are also very fortunate to have,
Shanen Emam, Miss Free State 2023 as one of our students that are involved with our programmes,” added Terblanche.
One of the students involved is Prince Sijane, Bloemfontein Campus Student Representative Council member responsible for Civic and Social Responsibility when asked why student participation is important, he said, “By actively participating in
initiatives that address social issues or promote community well-being, students become more aware of the challenges faced by society.”
Tereblanche said: “The produce of these gardens addresses hunger and malnutrition amongst students on campus. KovsieACT also facilitates an eco-vehicle project during which student teams learn how to build electric vehicles powered by solar charging
stations. This project is aimed at developing skills appropriate to the 4th Industrial Revolution and sustainable resources development including clean and green energy.”
A bridge to the future for school leavers
2009-03-04
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Ms Merridy Wilson-Strydom, Research Consultant at the Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development at the UFS.
Photo: Supplied) |
Thousands of learners in the country’s high schools fail to qualify for post-school education and training. Now a unique project funded by the Ford Foundation and being piloted at the University of the Free State (UFS) seeks to provide such learners with a lifeline.
The 2008 Grade 12 results showed once again that the schooling system is – and has been for a long time – in the throes of a severe crisis. The most disturbing feature of this crisis is that the system does not produce learners with the required level of literacy, numeracy and other cognitive skills to further their education or to become part of the country’s workforce.
Clearly this situation is untenable in a developing country such as ours, facing the immense challenges of a severe skills shortage, poverty and unemployment. We cannot afford to have hundreds of thousands of young people walking the streets without any prospect of a decent living and a future of opportunity.
The UFS and partners in the Free State Higher Education Consortium (FSHEC) have devised a unique programme to help underprepared and even unprepared school-leavers who have fallen through the cracks of the school system.
“We are hoping to make a meaningful contribution to the challenging field of creating educational opportunities for post-school study and the world of work through the generous support of the Ford Foundation,” says Ms Merridy Wilson-Strydom, Research Consultant at the Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development at the UFS.
“The Skills for a Changing World Programme is specifically aimed at removing barriers to educational opportunities for school-leavers who are not able to access higher education – mainstream or extended degrees. At the moment there are few, if any, meaningful opportunities for those learners who come through the school system un/underprepared,” she says.
The primary target group for the NQF Level-5 Programme is young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who are currently excluded from post-schooling educational opportunities. The duration of the programme is one year.
According to Ms Wilson-Strydom, the core modules of the activity-driven curriculum are English Literacy and Language Development, Mathematical Literacy, Information and Communication Technology and Your Global Positioning System (YGPS), which focuses on study skills and critical life skills, e.g. dealing with diversity. Students will also be supported to make informed choices about their future study or career directions.
“The development of the core-module materials is almost complete and from the second semester we plan to test the programme by means of a pilot project, which will be conducted on the UFS’s South Campus in Bloemfontein,” says Ms Wilson-Strydom.
“The pilot study will involve a group of 20-50 learners who have finished Grade 12 but do not qualify for the UFS bridging programme known as the Career Preparation Programme or any other higher-education programmes,” says Ms Wilson-Strydom.
Although not yet accredited, the project team aims to have the programme accredited as a Higher Certificate and is also exploring the possibility of registering the programme as a Short Learning Programme.
“One of the challenges with access and bridging programmes in the country is that students do not obtain a formal qualification for their bridging year. Hence those who do not continue with higher-education study (or cannot continue for various reasons such as finances), do not gain the recognition they should get for what they have learnt during their bridging year.”
“Our focus on developing the Skills for a Changing World Programme as a qualification in its own right is a key innovation in the current education and training landscape,” says Ms Wilson-Strydom.
Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
4 March 2009