The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences continues to make an impact in local high schools through its matric Life Sciences revision project, an initiative that provides dedicated tuition to Grade 12 learners.
All departments in the faculty – Emergency Medical Sciences, Wellness Sciences, Dental Sciences, Ophthalmic Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences and Nursing Sciences – play an active role in the project while the University of the Western Cape’s Medical Biosciences (MBS) Department has also come on board.
Launched in 2018 by Assoc Prof Kareemah Najaar, the initiative was designed to support learners in achieving the minimum entry requirements for higher education science programmes.
The model aims to bridge gaps for disadvantaged learners who often face challenges such as limited access to technology.
This year the focus was on five schools, with two of the schools – Charleston Hill Secondary from Paarl and Langa High School, recently attending a revision session at the Bellville campus.
Najaar said teachers help to identify the topics that are revised and more than 30 students and lecturers served as tutors for the day.
The project leaders from CPUT are Najaar, Dr Wendy Solomon and Marnel Germishuys
The project leaders from UWC (MBS Department) are Drs Chontrelle Willemse, Monique Bennett and Kim Lategan.
Najaar said plans were in the pipeline to extend the projects reach.
“Our intention is to have six schools by next year. We plan to switch our focus from Grade 12 to Grade 11, as teachers have agreed this is where the intervention will have the most impact,”.
The initiative has also given rise to an off-shoot project focused on the wellbeing of teachers. Somatology students from the Wellness Sciences department provided a much-needed pampering session for teachers during the revision session. The project leaders are Mandy Thomas and Marnel Germishuys
Reflecting on the project’s growth, Najaar noted: “I feel proud of this work because the model truly works. It adapts and reaches learners who need it most.”
Written by Ilse Fredericks
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