Fun'ulwazi Enrichment Programme

The Fun'ulwazi Enrichment Programme

SERI identifies learners of ability in the Khayelitsha primary schools when they are in Grade 7. These learners are then invited to join the Fun’ulwazi programme while they are in Grades 8 and 9 to develop their mathematical ability and to augment their scientific knowledge. Essentially, they are being groomed to join the COSAT programme in Grade 10.

Movitation 

The numbers of African learners from previously disadvantaged schools achieving quality matriculation passes with Higher Grade Mathematics and Physical Science remains unacceptably low. 

SERI aims to address this crisis in a small but meaningful way. In partnership with the Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT), a full time Grade 10 to 12 Mathematics and Science school in Khayelitsha, SERI has established the Fun’ulwazi Enrichment Programme. 

 Fun’ulwazi as a feeder into COSAT 

COSAT, which opened its doors to disadvantaged learners of potential in 1999, has enjoyed considerable academic success Since its first matric class in 2001, COSAT has had a 100% pass rate, with an impressive number of A-aggregate passes and subject distinctions. It has consistently produced 40% or more of all HG Mathematics and Science passes in Khayelitsha! Not only that, but these results have been achieved in a programme that has a very small percentage (less than 5%) of the total number of matriculation candidates in these two subjects in the Khayelitsha area. 

The majority of COSAT’s matriculants go on to further their studies at tertiary institutions in the Western Cape. For example, COSAT is the largest township-based feeder school to UCT in the country. 

Recently, the process of recruiting suitable students to COSAT has been unsatisfactory. There are two reasons for this. First, the introduction of outcomes-based education has made the identification and selection of learners who have the ability to cope with COSAT’s academically-demanding curriculum a real challenge. OBE has an assessment model that does not necessarily measure a learner’s ability in a particular subject or learning area. For example, a score of 3 in Mathematics equates to a percentage range of between 40% and 69%. Learners are assessed on activities such as working in a group, neatness and designing a poster, making it difficult to judge the learners' true ability in the subject.  Second, learners who have achieved in primary schools proceed to Grade 8 in high schools characterised by high levels of disorganisation and dysfunction. Their performance often deteriorates significantly.

The Fun’ulwazi Enrichment Programme addresses this challenge by identifying learners with ability in Grade 7 and developing their knowledge and skills base over a two-year period so that they cope with Grade 10 at COSAT. 

 

The Fun’ulwazi Enrichment Programme

Fun’ulwazi is a two-year enrichment programme that targets high achievers in Mathematics and Science who are currently in Grades 8 and 9 at Khayelitsha Secondary schools. [By the way, the word Fun'ulwazi doesn't mean Let's have fun! It means: Be curious! - not that fun and curiosity can't be mixed, as SERI and COSAT have proved!]. Fun’ulwazi consists of the following components:

  • The Fun’ulwazi Saturday School

  • Robotics Vacation School

  • Marine Biology Camp

In addition to developing Mathematics, Science and English language skills, the programme nurtures the learners’ interest in science and technology by exposing them to a variety of extracurricular topics, including robotics, electronics, geology, marine biology, archaeology and astronomy. The programme’s curriculum also includes excursions to places of scientific and educational interest. Fun’ulwazi learners participate in competitions such as the FIRST Lego League Robotics Competition and the UCT Science EXPO. The programme will soon be expanded to include an extra 1½-hour English session a week.

Learners who attend Fun’ulwazi and progress well are invited to attend the Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT) as full-time Grade 10 learners. COSAT in turn prepares its learners for tertiary studies in Science-related fields.

The Fun’ulwazi programme is unique for a number of reasons, 

  • The Saturday school is not merely remedial, where class work is revised and nothing else. Its primary focus is on enrichment, where learners are exposed to stimulating ideas, experiments and environments.

  • It specifically targets the best Maths and Science students in primary schools. (By the end of each year all 34 primary schools in Khayelitsha have been visited to facilitate the nomination of suitable Fun’ulwazi learners.)

  • It is the only enrichment programme based in Khayelitsha.

  • Learners who succeed in the Fun’ulwazi programme are invited to attend the COSAT Grade 10 to 12 programme. This injection of Fun’ulwazi products is having a very positive impact on the quality of COSAT education.
    The Fun’ulwazi Saturday School
     

At the end of each year, talented Grade 7s are nominated by their primary schools to participate in Fun’ulwazi. Fifty learners are selected to join the programme based on their academic performance in Mathematics, Science and English, as well as on their leadership potential. One hundred learners (50 Grade 8s and 50 Grade 9s) from 19 Khayelitsha secondary schools attend Fun’ulwazi every Saturday. Fun’ulwazi classes are held at COSAT where all the necessary facilities, such as science laboratories, computer rooms and classrooms, are available. Learners are provided with transport and a light lunch. 

All lessons are an hour long, except for Robotics, which is two hours long. Assessment is carried out for each subject area and includes both normative assessment (during learning activities) and summative assessment (class tests). Learners are also required to submit their school mid-year and end-of-year reports. Fun'ulwazi teachers are dedicated learning - area specialists. 

Fun'ulwazi Saturday School Teachers

Mathematics/Robotics: (Mr Tiro Motaung) 

Fun’ulwazi Mathematics lessons focus on developing Mathematics thinking skills. This is achieved by using in-house resources, as well as resources developed by Cambridge University and available on the Cambridge Enrich website. After introducing learners to a problem in class, they are challenged to solve similar problems at home and present their solutions at the next Fun’ulwazi lesson.

English: (Ms Unathi Booi)

English lessons develop basic grammar, sentence structure and comprehension skills. This is achieved through the study of text and through drill and practice exercises.   

Computer Skills: (Ms Lungisa Mavundla)

This introductory course covers the following: The Windows operating system, word processing (Microsoft Word) and spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel.)

Science: (Mr Peter Oxenham)

Science at Fun’ulwazi emphasises hands-on practical activities. Topics covered include: electronics, magnetism, the introductory Chemistry, gases, astronomy, density and pressure.
English/Library: (Mrs Helen George)

Helen teaches English on the Grade 10 Saturday School Programme and is responsible for SERI's Library project. 

Mathematics:( Mrs Phadiela Cooper)

Phadiela teaches Mathematics on the Grade 10 Saturday School Programme.

Computer Programming Vacation School

This programme takes place during the September school vacation. Learners design, build and programme their NXT Lego with the purpose of carrying out a number of set challenges.

Marine Biology Camp (Camp Coordinator: Ms Lungisa Mavundla) 

The Marine Biology Camp is held at the Disa Kloof facility in Betty’s Bay. This site is ideally located as both the beach and mountain are within walking distance. Activities include, investigating inter-tidal zone ecology, a bird dissection and an investigation into the microorganisms of rivers and dams. 

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE Robotics Competition

As in 2005, SERI entered two teams in the 2006 FIRST LEGO LEAGUE competition. The teams attended sixteen three-hour training sessions at UCT where they acquired programming and research skills. Each team had to design, build and programme a robot to carry out a series of tasks, research a topic related to human activity in the oceans, and then make verbal presentations to a team of judges. Despite stiff competition the SERI teams performed well, with the Grade 9 ‘Sea-Eagles’ team achieving second place in the research category.