Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) 2012 Contents
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ANNUAL REPORT Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) 2012 CONTENTS Foreword: Kevin Govender 1 Chairman’s report: Donald Campbell 2 Key achievements for 2012 2 Message from the director: From national curriculum to the classroom, Zorina Dharsey 3 PSP Projects: Innovation Project 4 Cluster Project 6 Joint Mentorship Project 8 PSP publications 11 PSP staff and governance 12 Reach and Results: Monitoring and Evaluation 14 Finances: Audited financial statements 2012 15 Acknowledging partners and donors 20 Vision and mission statement of the PSP The PSP has a vision of excellent primary schooling for all South Africa’s children, where all educators are highly skilled, committed and confident, and are well prepared and resourced to teach. The PSP’s mission is to improve the quality of teaching and learning of the sciences, language, mathematics and the environment by supporting teachers in their professional development. PSP contact details Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) Edith Stephens Wetland Park Jeff Masemola Road (previously Lansdowne Road) Philippi, 7785 P.O. Box 24158 Lansdowne, 7779 South Africa Tel: 021 691 9039 Fax: 021 691 6350 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.psp.org.za FOREWORD Providing opportunities to inspire children “Programmes aimed at the early years in a child’s development can have the most significant impact on a country’s economy…” – Nobel laureate Dr James Heckman By Kevin Govender, Director Investing in primary education is not just IAU Office of Astronomy for something we should be doing because we love Development (http://www. children. It’s something we should be doing astro4dev.org/aboutiauoad/ because it’s good for the economy and society oadteam/) at large! ome of us see development as having a PSP has been doing amazing work in this field Shealthy economy; some see development for many years. I have worked with them on as better social services including health and projects using astronomy to inspire the very education; some see development as simply a young, especially during the very successful happier people. International Year of Astronomy 2009. Their knowledge of the school system and commitment Globally however we are chained to economic to quality is commendable and has been indicators which tend to govern the choices we recognised throughout the world through their make as individual countries. This is a reality resources which were shared internationally. PSP that we are all familiar with, yet we talk about also works closely with and supports the formal making the world a better place. education system in a way that sets them apart Enter the issue of from other organisations – this is a valuable way primary education. of working in order to avoid duplication of effort within the science education system. In South Africa Nobel laureate Dr James Heckman, who we are fortunate As the field of astronomy grows on the African was awarded the 2000 continent with projects such as the Square to have an Nobel Prize in Economic Kilometre Array, there are new opportunities to organisation Science, has shown inspire young children with the beauty and scale that programmes like PSP whose of the universe, which PSP has done so well. aimed at the early However, the potential of big science projects will dedicated work years in a child’s not be sustained without a concerted effort not contributes development can have only to train but also to inspire science teachers, to the bigger the most significant specifically primary science teachers. This is not impact on a country’s developmental just a South African or an African challenge, but economy (www. a global one. In South Africa we are fortunate to challenges we heckmanequation.org). have an organisation like PSP whose dedicated face. In fact, his and other work contributes to the bigger developmental works were referred to challenges we face. in US President Barack Obama’s 2013 State of I hope to see continued expansion of PSP and the Union address when he said “Every dollar we their efforts in the coming years as the continent invest in high-quality early education can save becomes a preferred destination for big science more than seven dollars later on – by boosting projects. May the PSP continue to serve as an graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even example to other education organisations across reducing violent crime.” the world! 1 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT PSP affecting The PSP greatly Financially we have continued appreciates to improve our situation during significant the generous the year, having achieved increases over the previous year funders’ in both gross revenue and net number of pupils interest in our surplus. Our net unrestricted work, both reserves have increased from By Donald Campbell intellectually R1 703 445 to R2 504 821. Hon. Chairman and financially. The long-term aim of this Our PSP education trust is We wish all our generous organisation is to accumulate increasingly active and thriving funders to know how much we sufficient financial reserves despite the continuing doom appreciate their interest in our to become self-sustainable. and gloom in the global work, both intellectually and Achieving the ability to ride economy. This condition is financially. out the fluctuations in both the national and global economies undoubtedly due to the growing The PSP is currently running will enable us to concentrate realisation by influential persons three major projects involving harder on the important both at home and abroad teacher training and mentorship educational issues. to give urgent, accelerated support and worked with 813 attention to the need in our teachers from 141 schools in Many thanks again to our country for teachers who are 2012. The number of pupils dedicated and hard-working confident in their knowledge of involved is therefore clearly staff and to our generous and mathematics and the sciences. significant. faithful financial supporters. Key achievements in 2012 The PSP’s contribution to education received PSP’s leadership in the field of primary science recognition, acknowledgement and acclaim education. It also provides a solid base for PSP’s teacher training and materials development, in line on various levels during 2012. with all the curriculum changes and additions. International – winner of the Global Best Awards National, provincial and regional – conference The PSP’s newest project, the ‘Joint Mentorship presentations Project’ (JMP) – a two-year programme of PSP representation at various conferences around mentorship and support for first-time teachers – was South Africa demonstrates the high regard for selected as one of the Global Best Award winners and wide acknowledgement of PSP’s expertise in in the theme “Partnerships that Inspire Young People the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Mathematics) fields. (STEM) in Africa”. This award was decided by the International Education Business Partnership During 2012, PSP presented its Joint Mentorship Network (IPN), in collaboration with MIET Africa Project (JMP) – a mentorship model aimed at first- and The Conference Board of Canada. time teachers: at an International Partnership Network (IPN) National – new Natural Sciences CAPS Curriculum 2012 conference, The PSP was contracted by the Department of Basic the Basic Education Conference in Durban Education (DBE) to rework and improve the Natural at SAARMSTE (South African Association Sciences and Technology curriculum for Grades 4-9. of Research into Mathematics, Science & This improved CAPS curriculum was well-received Technology Education) conference at UWC in and clearly demonstrates national recognition for January 2013. 2 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR From national curriculum to the classroom Zorina Dharsey PSP Director The launch of the new Zorina Curriculum Assessment Policy Dharsey Statements (CAPS) came with with the the supply of Mathematics, Global Best Language and Natural Sciences Award (NS) workbooks to primary the PSP received schools nationally. Measures for it’s Joint such as these employed by Mentorship government to improve Project education delivery are generally (JMP) – a considered progressive in two-year education circles. However, it programme is our experience that large- of mentor- scale curriculum change has a ship and destabilising effect on teachers support for first-time and disrupts their work. teachers. While curriculum change is not new, major change, repeated regularly, is disorientating. Teachers are again called upon to make a host of changes being introduced, while at the Sciences and Technology (NST) with respect to their teaching; same time encouraging quality in the Intermediate Phase has subject content, approaches, teaching and learning in the also been unsettling for NS skills, planning, classroom schools it works with. teachers with little knowledge activities, assessments, printed and experience of Technology, The PSP’s involvement in material and teaching and and equally so for Technology education spans the policy- learning apparatus. Teachers rely teachers who lack sufficient practice divide and stretches on these basic tools to function knowledge of important from national curriculum effectively in the classroom science concepts. The PSP has development to practical and during curriculum change, therefore adapted its training implementation in the these tools take time, effort and programmes, classroom support classroom. money to set in place again. and materials to the new needs Just