The occasion of a solar eclipse in southern Africa is an opportunity for everyone to marvel at the complexity of our solar system, and on the role that science and technology plays in our lives. Thanks to modern technology, we have walked on the moon, watched an Earth rise, and sent probes to other planets, yet we are still unsure of our place in the universe. Whatever that role is, it is a role that is subservient to the interplay of the sun, the Earth and the moon. Traditional knowledge systems, passed down from generation to generation, have emphasized this humble position, yet Western society continues to ignore the message of the stars. We sometimes act as if we control the destiny of our planet, but this is not a philosophy that is not shared by indigenous people in South Africa or elsewhere in the world.
Soon we will have another giant eye into the skies, the South African Large Telescope, or SALT. This 10-metre optical infra-red telescope will allow us to examine stars thousands of light years away and will keep South Africa at the forefront of scientific endeavour. The SALT project will only succeed, however, if it also inspires South Africans in all fields of work and play to set their sights high and to aim for the stars.
The mission of my Department is "to realize the full potential of the arts, culture, science and technology in social and economic development, in nurturing creativity and innovation, and in promoting the diverse heritage of our nation".
In addition to spearheading programmes that optimize the use and development of our existing science and technology resources and encourage foresight and innovation, we have launched a series of initiatives that encourage more young South Africans to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology. Jointly with the Department of Education, we are building a new culture of science and technology teaching in our schools and cultivating a new crop of science and technology students at the secondary and tertiary level. These programmes are complemented by an initiative with the Department of Trade & Industry to create job opportunities in science and technology and to offer support for young entrepreneurs.
A programme that is unique to my Department is a campaign to promote the public understanding of science and technology (PUSET). This programme recognizes that, for South Africa to be globally competitive, it needs a solid base of highly skilled professionals in science, engineering and technology. The first step in building this base is to remove all the cultural barriers that still block the majority of our people from taking part in science, engineering and technology (SET), especially previously marginalised people who still perceive these fields as taboo. We need to demystify science and take it into the cultural mainstream so that everyone can participate in it on an equal basis.
My Department has also committed to a social contract for the sciences, which requires science and technology to play a strong role in improving the quality of life of the majority of our people and to help bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Increasing the role of women and engaging indigenous knowledge systems within the science system, are also essential components of this new social contract for science.
Furthermore, we regard it as very important to bring the two fields of art and culture and science and technology closer together. We believe that we can improve entry into the hard subjects of science and technology by introducing them to young people from marginalized communities through the medium of arts and culture, especially performing arts and music. We therefore intend that science discovery centres should link with art centres that have been established around the country.
The Commonwealth Science Council, of which I am currently Chairman, has launched a programme called 'CommQuest' which aims to provide a platform in Commonwealth countries to highlight the crucial role that science and technology plays in sustainable development. CommQuest seeks to find innovative ways of improving PUSET by encouraging the development and use of interactive science discovery centres. These science discovery centres will complement conventional teaching and learning methods and encourage an interest in science and technology, especially among young people.
We are aware that interactive science centres have played in a significant role in strengthening the science culture in many other countries, especially in the developing world. Thailand, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Uruguay and South Korea, as well as most First World countries, already have established networks of interactive science discovery centres, some of them over thirty years old.
I am pleased to announce that my Department will this year embark on an active campaign to develop a network of science discovery centres in South Africa, and will call on all stakeholders to contribute to this important initiative. The MTN ScienCentre here at Canal Walk in Cape Town will be used as the prototype for the design of other science centres in the network. The MTN ScienCentre is an excellent example of the way in which the public and private sectors can work together for the common good, and it is a model that we would like to roll out in the other provinces. The Foundation for Education, Science & Technology (FEST), which is the implementing agency and funded by my Department, has been appointed as the lead agency to develop the PUSET programme, including the science centre network, in South Africa.
As an initial indication of our commitment to this process, we are discussing with the MTN ScienCentre the possibility of a joint venture so that it can reach its full potential and play a full role in the development of the science centre network in South Africa.
A recent survey by the Auditor-General's Office has revealed that 90% of South Africa's schools do not have adequate laboratories or science teaching equipment. Science discovery centres provide cutting edge laboratories that schools from all communities can use for teaching science, technology and mathematics. Science discovery centres also promote PUSET by hosting popular science talks, competitions, olympiads, demonstrations and exhibitions, and by organizing science camps, media in education workshops, science festivals and scientific excursions. Their teaching programmes reach into all communities through their travelling displays and outreach and distance learning programmes. Furthermore, science discovery centres can contribute strongly to early learner development, teacher enrichment and life skill development.
The network of science centres that we will establish will also assist in other efforts such as traveling displays on science and technology that we develop ourselves or import from abroad. We also envisage that the network of science centres will play a strong role in promoting technoliteracy, and especially computer literacy, among our young people so as to prepare them for the challenges of the information technology age and bridge the digital divide.
The science centres will also showcase technological innovations from South Africa and abroad and will encourage all South Africans to be creative, whatever their field of endeavour.
We regard the development of a science centre network in South Africa as part of our core business and intend embarking on it in the most cost-effective way in collaboration with the private sector and with national and international educational and funding organizations. We will also consult with leading science centre experts from South Africa and abroad, including the Commonwealth Science Council.
So, on this historic day of the solar eclipse, my Department, in collaboration with you, will embark on a new journey of discovery that will enrich the lives of all South Africans and hopefully have positive ramifications deep into Africa. I hope that next year on 4 December 2002, when we are going to be able again to observe the solar eclipse, I will be able to refer to the progress of our efforts on public understanding of science, engineering and technology
Siyabonga. I thank you.