More career opportunities in space science field

 

Mothibistad – Whilst the Northern Cape province’s 2015 Grade 12 cohort representing the highest-ever intake of maths and physicals science as subjects of choice, career opportunities in the space science field remain untapped.

During the recent Space Science Open Day, Mmboneni Muofhe, Deputy Director General at Department of Science and Technology, made a clarion call to learners to seize opportunities in the space science and making the right subject choices.

Moufhe said the benefits of space science included telecommunications and broadcasting, specifically for television, broadband and navigation.

"These are some of the areas offering you wonderful opportunities for careers as researchers, engineers or technologists. Others benefits were Earth observations, improved agricultural practices, and disaster mitigation, improved meteorology forecasting and national security," said Muofhe.

More than 6 000 Grade 12 learners have taken mathematics and physical science as subjects of choice for the 2015 final year examination.

The Space Science Open Day was held in Mothibistad outside Kuruman. More than 1500 learners from schools around the area attended the event under the theme; “Discovery”, recognising South Africa’s new deep space discoveries.

The event was hosted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in partnership with the Department of Education, as a pilot project.

 

The event provided opportunity to expose learners and the general public to the country’s discoveries through space science, confirming the country's fast-growing expertise in the field of radio astronomy. This event comes for the second time in the province as it was first held in 2013.

The Northern Cape is home to the world’s largest radio telescope, with a square kilometre (one million square metres) of collecting area.

Chief Director for Curriculum Development and Delivery within the Department of Education, Gobonamang Sibiya, said the open day would contribute to the increase of the number of learners taking Maths and Science as their subjects of choice.

“We applaud this initiative because investment in knowledge by a range of partners is always welcomed as education is really a societal issue,” said  Sibiya, also encouraging the learners to choose to study Maths and Science. 

Tsholofelo Setlhalefo a grade 10 learner from Rekgaratlhile High School said he gained a lot of information through the expo. 

“This expo shed a light to me, I now know that one can take various career path in the Space Science, I also learned a lot with regards to the Bloodhound project that is currently going on in the province”, he said.