New Sarel science lab to leave a legacy

The opening of a new science laboratory at Sarel Cilliers High School will assist in tackling South Africa’s dire shortage of doctors and engineers.
So said SW Kheswa, acting Umzinyathi Education District Director, at the official opening of the new facility that will greatly assist science and biology students.
The modern lab will allow students to interact with data at a practical level and in that way make the ‘subject come alive’.
Called the Van Staden Science Centre – the naming of which caught principal Kevin van Staden visibly by surprise – the new laboratory will set the pace in science education in the Umzinyathi District.
“Sarel’s class of 2017 scored a 60% average in science.
With this lab now in operation, we are looking at a pass rate of 79%,” Mr Kheswa said.
Mr Van Staden said the centre will assist pupils ‘long into the future and is an investment that the school can be proud of’.
He said the establishing of the Centre was as a result of teamwork from all involved.
Bishop Thulani Xaba, School Governing Body chairman, said the Centre would serve as a legacy in the years to come and was proud that Sarel, known for its sporting facilities, is now setting the pace academically.
”We are proud that the funding for this new facility was from our parents and not from the Department, although of course, the Department is very supportive of our school.’
The evening ended with science teachers, including Andries Gregory, and students demonstrating experiments to guests while Sarel’s own Einstein, Isaac Addai, constructed maths equations on the board that left most confused.