The study of the Life Sciences gives important insight into disease processes and allows the development of novel therapeutic and innovative medical devices, thereby directly improving human health. Life Sciences also enables an understanding of the environment and the other living species with which we share the earth. This knowledge guides conservation efforts and helps us to save our shared planet.
Choosing Engineering Graphics and Design as a subject for Grade 10 provides fundamental knowledge and drawing skills required for several career opportunities, namely architecture, engineering, medical technician, industrial designer, interior designer, city planner, graphic illustrator and artisan.
If you’re a people’s person and thrive in environments that are geared towards customer satisfaction, then choosing hospitality studies in high school is great opportunity to consider various career paths in the entertainment, recreation, food service and hotel management industries.
Music has been made and enjoyed throughout history, it is a powerful and effective way to spread a message, tell a story or express your feelings.
Visual Arts at high school level offers a multi-disciplinary programme that trains the hand and the eye, while engaging the intellect and the imagination in conceptualising and creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks. This subject is about self-expression and helps students to engage meaningfully with, and respond to, their world in a non-verbal way. Students come into the art lessons often with a sense of relief, where they can be themselves, talk about all sorts of things and feel safe to do so.
History helps one understand the world by examining the struggles, failures and successes of our predecessors. Through this we learn how to examine ourselves and improve the world we live in. Studying History, equips us with all the qualities we require in a modern society: understanding, compassion & tolerance.
Dené worked hard and obtained her National Senior Certificate through Impaq at the end of 2012. She got accepted to the University of Pretoria and started her BA Drama in 2013. Dené has passed her master’s degree in Drama and Film Studies from UP with distinction – with the feedback that she achieved the highest mark in the department’s history! She shares her advice to current and future Impaq learners, parents, guardians, and tutors:
Many of South Africa’s Matric learners are approaching their looming final examinations filled with dread and anxiety, in anticipation that they won’t do very well or, even worse, fail the most important assessment in their academic life so far.
The moment of truth has arrived for this year’s Grade 12s. With fewer than 100 days until the start of their final examinations, the Class of 2019 now has to pull out all the stops to ensure they achieve to their full potential, as their final results will play a decisive role in the options open to them in years to come.
Matric learners all over South Africa have the finish line in sight as the race to complete their schooling career nears its end. Cindy Glass, Director and Co-founder of Step Up Education Centres explains “There is no doubt that the upcoming Trial and Final exams can be a source of anxiety and stress for most, if not all, Grade 12 learners-and their parents! The task ahead can feel overwhelmingly challenging and the resulting fear-of-failure can and, too-often, does become counter-productive in the learning process.”
When your child turns 6 it usually means that it’s their last year in preschool. In a year, your child will need to start primary school, but how do you know that your child will cope with the formal demands of school? Or be able to function to his/her full potential? As a parent, you may have lots of questions about this new phase in your child’s life. You would want to know that your child is ready to start their learning journey. If your child is not ready, it could influence his/her academic performance.
After their first semester and first major university exams, many first years are sitting with an unenviable conundrum – the realisation that they may not have made the best choice about what to study for the next 3 years of their life.
Participation in university sports is highly regarded by future employers. In an increasingly competitive business world, progressive companies seek out young people with skills crafted both in the classroom and on the sporting field. Student athletes can gain corporate attention by showcasing their dedication to high performance and skills, this is often transferable in an office environment. “Whether a student is aiming to play a sport at a professional level or just play for fun during their university years, they can leverage their athletic abilities to land a top career after they graduate,” says Rebecca Pretorius, Country Manager for Crimson Education. The global education company assists young people to gain entry to universities in the United States and United Kingdom. Pretorius highlights some key skills that student athletes possess, which will benefit them in the working world: Resilience – businesses seek employees who can ride out the tough times and use failure as motivation to improve. Years of communicating effectively with coaches has seen athletes appreciate the benefits of constructive criticism. They understand the importance of effective communication and thrive on clear expectations. Team player – corporate recruiters look for young people who understand how to both take control and be effective followers. Athletes understand the importance of working together towards a common goal. Eye on the prize – athletes are achievement orientated. Most have practiced their sport since a young age and have developed a strong understanding of the psychological mindset of success. Efficiency – the time management and organisational skills learned by juggling academics and sporting practices translate into an employee who uses their time wisely, who performs well under stress and meets all required deadlines. Self-awareness – athletes are team members who bring their own set of skills to the table with an awareness of how their contribution compliments the input of others. This displays an understanding of how they will fit into company culture. “Success in sports boils down to finding the best fit university, having a good strategy and getting started early,” says Pretorius. With a specialised athletic division, Crimson Education assists learners by designing and helping to implement an admissions roadmap. This includes athletic campaigning to coaches, eligibility assessment, creating a recruitment video, and test preparation and tutoring to ensure that academic requirements are met. Helping applicants navigate admissions processes and campaign to coaches across all divisions has seen 100% of Crimson Education students gain access to universities on a sports scholarship. Students and parents who are inspired by the idea can attend one of the company’s information sessions by emailing [email protected].
Home education (or homeschooling) helps learners prepare for the real world as homeschool learners learn the art of self-study. Ravon Venter, an Impaq alumnus, says that studying through Impaq helped him develop better self-discipline. He also credits Impaq with giving him the qualifications he needed to find a job he is passionate about.
While most matrics are getting ready for the preliminary examinations, we thought we would look back at Impaq’s top achievers for 2018 to see if they have any advice for this year’s matrics.
How do we create the next generation of innovative artists? Through all our amazing art teachers across the globe! It’s not easy being a kid today; facing chunks of homework and a seemingly never-ending quest for achievement, it appears to be harder being a kid than a CEO of a large corporate company. It’s even harder for creative children; to discover and nurture their talent with different social pressures and numerous inconsistent daily requirements. Listed below are 3 key qualities every art teacher should have. Cultivating these principles assists our aspiring Picassos, aka your students, in finding their role in the creative world and how to play it. Curiosity Curiosity builds a desire for a greater understanding and learning more. Besides innovating your student’s creative talent by gaining more intel, curiosity develops awareness and attention to detail for their craft. It is of utmost importance to motivate them to consistently ask questions and to dig deeper. This fosters growth and matures their expertise. Passion Tony Wagner, a Senior Research Fellow at the Learning Policy Institute, states that one of the key principles to strengthen a student’s innovative framework, is the passion passed from the teacher to student. Wagner further explains how the best teachers always support what the student’s natural passion is, and make an effort to connect what needs to be learnt to satisfy the passion. This creates a sense of purpose with their craft and longing to better themselves. Purpose Having a purpose is imperative for any human being. Great art teachers know the importance of creating art that will add value to the world, rather than creating for the sake of creating. When students pick up this sentiment, it develops their creative problem-solving skills. Finding solutions is more urgent and pushes the student to take greater risks and look for new ways of solving challenging issues to fulfil their purpose. With these 3 principles implemented into your art class, who knows, you could be grooming the next Da Vinci.
Of all the important learning activities we can do with young children, reading probably trumps the rest. The importance of elementary literacy skill development has been well documented. In reality, early literacy influences every aspect of learning and thinking. As the organization, ProLiteracy states, “Every important social issue is impacted by low literacy.” Decades of research shows the direct correlation between early literacy skills and long term student success. Shockingly it is said that “students not reading well in third grade are four times more likely to drop out” (Students First, Statistics about Education in America). In most curricula, children learn to read and receive reading instruction in the foundation phase. Hereafter they are expected to read to learn. Therefore, it is imperative that children be afforded every possible support to ensure early reading success.
In the previous articles I have spoken about the ADD/ADHD child but what about the parents? As the last of these articles, it is important to talk about parents of children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is hard work having an ADHD child and few parents who do not have one understand and recognise this. ADHD children can impact hugely on family dynamics and the parental relationship.
Lifting students learning in a school is a collaborative effort. It requires team effort, both at school and at home. It has become evident that with the current economic demands, parents find themselves overcommitted, not by choice, but the need to provide for their families. Hence, social growth is neglected and thus the school environment becomes the essential feeder of the curious minds.
Irrational decisions are made when they are the result of a knee jerk reaction and when you are at your emotional peak. It is a choice you have made and decided to act upon based on your feelings and usually clouded by misinformation. Decisions made on the spur of the moment and under emotional conditions have almost always been the wrong decision, which leads to one feeling embarrassed and the need to apologise followed by the necessary mending of the relationship.
There have been many studies that focus on the importance of infant stimulation. It is a well-known fact that impoverished environments, under stimulation and the lack of rich and varied experiences can impair children’s development in all areas. Thus, there are many projects that focus on helping these communities and giving them the tools through training and equipping them to be able to change the cycle. But what about over stimulation? It has been shown that environments that overwhelm children with stimulation beyond their current capacities interfere with the brain’s potential, much in the same way that under stimulation does. Our society has become increasingly focused on stimulation. Expensive early learning programs, competitiveness and early achieving have become the norm. We have so over scheduled our children with activities that they do not have time to simply be kids and play. We do not expect a 5 month old to walk or run, why do we then expect a 5 year old to read and write? Many children have not developed or practiced their creativity one should through boredom, as they have not had the chance to be bored. There is actually no evidence that any of this has yielded smarter, better, super babies. In fact, priming infants with stimulation that they are not ready for may cause them to withdraw, thereby threatening their interest in learning and creating conditions much like stimulus deprivation. In addition to this parents may become disappointed when despite the excessive stimulation, their children do not become little geniuses. This creates the danger that parents may view their children as failures at an early age. This in turn could result in infants being robbed of a healthy psychological start while also depriving parents of pleasurable and relaxing interactions with and participation in their children early years. The question this leaves us with is, what would the best conditions be? Let kids be kids. Do not put too much pressure on them or expect them to do things that are not age appropriate. The ideal is to provide age-appropriate moderate stimulation in a loving environment with lots of social interactions. This has proven to be much more beneficial than expensive toys and gadgets. The Skidz Clever Activity boxes provides a program focusing on this exact finding. Each set contains all the equipment needed to complete over 100 activities in each box. The age ranges are as follows: 0-6 months 6-12 months 12-18 months 18-24 months 2-5 years. For more info or to purchase your box go to www.skidz.co.za or follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/skidzsa
This time of the year Grade 9 learners need to make their subject selections for next year, but parents often do not know how to guide them. Educational psychologist, Lizette Erasmus, share some insightful guidelines on subject selections and how they will guide your child’s career choices in South Africa.
One need only watch a young child spending a day at the beach to realise how fundamental curiosity is as a core trait in natural learning. Feeding the desire to delve into discovering things should be at the centre of all of our planning as teachers of learners of all ages. In a constantly changing world, preparing individuals for future careers is a moot point so we re-focus our efforts on skill, creativity and versatility in a yet unknown landscape in which they will spend their lives.
As tourism is such an integral part of any country’s marketing strategy, it has become vital to offer it as part of our learning package. Not only do learners discover the “treasures” of our country, but also how to manage and use these “treasures” responsibly to the benefit of all. Tourism teaches learners to promote South Africa locally and internationally, and to ensure that tourists experience, appreciate and value our country.
Process art is all about the experience children have when they are creating. We encourage it at Toptots to enable the child to explore and be exposed to different mediums. Process art needs to be open ended and the child should be left alone to explore and create without any adult interference. Children learn through play and open-ended activities – this gives them the chance to explore and ask questions and see how things work. Process art is all about the actual process and not the end product.
What is art? Art is the “expression or application of human creative skill and imagination” thus may be brought through in a child in many forms: Music, Dance, Literature or Visual Creative Arts. Art is a fundamental; this could almost be considered part of a vital milestone in the pre-school child’s learning. In my experiences with visual arts, the atelier is a place of research and experimentation where the child can express themselves through the stimulation of their own creativity. The experience is one of enjoyment and plays a role in shaping their own sense of personal, social and cultural identity. The art activities set out are of great importance as: They help develop fine motor, gross motor and hand-eye co-ordination skills. Problem solving abilities develop as they explore a huge variety of new materials and tools around them. Art is one of the many languages of the world, discussions and conversations lead in different directions building on vocabulary and then where children of a limited vocabulary also have an outlet to express themselves. The stages of art from scribbling to consciously drawing shapes, form a foundation for school readiness. They teach children about cause and effect appealing to the child’s sense of curiosity. Therefore, open–ended art is essential as it helps children not to be afraid of change and allows for a higher order thinking. A sense of pride is developed, through the planning of an activity to the final outcome, it all has a purpose. The child’s self-esteem develops through activities where they can express their own thinking through the freedom of choice. Independence is encouraged and taking responsibility for an activity boosts self-confidence. Working in groups at times, spark collaboration, socialising and compromise, which are all life skills that are crucial for development. Cultural identity and differences are built on through the introduction of various artists and their art works. Art should no longer just take on the form of using only some or other mark-making tool onto paper. Art is the discovery of building, fitting, fixing, breaking and composing of loose parts, using old things to become new things. Thus, repurposing and upcycling. Our mind sets have been shifted from the traditional ridged and somewhat constricted views of what constitutes art or an artist. I think we as teachers are only scrapping the tip of the iceberg of the possibilities available worldwide. So, when teaching, we should then take on the opportunity to explore and expose our children to the wealth of resources available. Once we take on this ‘new age’ way of thinking we can then understand the full rich meaning of why art is so fundamental in learning, in the classroom and beyond. By Charlene Lang (Teacher at Maragon Ruimsig Pre-Primary)
Choosing a school for your little one should not be a last minute, hasty decision. Start looking at least three months before you need to enter your child, if you are looking to place a baby. If you want your child to join a good school when they turn three, you should start looking at birth. This may seem ludicrous but the top Pre-Primary schools have waiting lists several years long! The first decision is whether to place your child in a school near home or near your place of work. Small children suffer from many little illnesses and most schools want a sick child to go home as soon as possible. Choose a school that is close enough for someone to fetch them promptly if they fall ill. No matter how loving the care at school, a sick child just wants the comfort of home. Choose a school whose hours suit your schedule. If the school closes at 5.30pm, you must be able to reach it with time to spare, regardless of the traffic. Does the school open early enough for you to get to work? You cannot leave a small child outside the gate and assume that someone will take responsibility! There are so many places of care to choose from at the moment that you may be bewildered by the choice. Take the time to visit the school unannounced. Check the security first, it should not be possible for you just to drive in. Are there cameras at the door and an entrance procedure? Next, how are you greeted and dealt with by the receptionist? This should be efficient, friendly and with an offer to show you the school, either then or by appointment. An appointment does not mean they have anything to hide; good schools have to allocate time and staff to deal with parents effectively. Is the reception clutter free and efficiently run? Are the admittance forms neatly printed and requesting sufficient background detail on your child? When you look around, watch the children. Under-fives should be playing freely and busily with clean, unbroken toys that are well displayed to enable choice, or engaged in activities that are stimulating creativity or enhancing number or literacy skills. There should be no worksheets or cloned art work. Is the classroom clean and attractive, with good natural light and ventilation? Is there sufficient space for the children? Crowded rooms lead to fights and stress. Has the teacher (who should be SACE registered) an assistant to manage bathroom visits, messes and to support play? Is there evidence of an overall theme that the children are investigating? Are there good quality books in a comfy spot for reading? Are the carpets and floors clean? Beware of schools that are too tidy and immaculate as this could mean that the equipment is for display, not the children’s use. Children should be aware of your presence but not clamouring for your attention. What is your language policy for your child? If they are to attend Primary school in a specific language, they will be at an advantage if their early years are spent in the same language. This does not mean that you should forsake your home language. Bi-lingual children have a cognitive advantage, but do not confuse your child by subjecting him/her to a constant mixture of languages. Choose a school that will help your child enter grade 1 with a strong vocabulary and comprehension, as well as an ability to engage in their intellectual education with understanding. What do you require in the way of meals? Not all schools serve breakfast, lunch and snacks and the price should reflect what is provided. Check out the kitchen, the kitchen staff and the certificates from the local authority indicating that the school is licenced to provide meals. Look at the menus. Is there sufficient variety and fresh fruit and vegetables? Ask about who feeds the little ones and how meals are conducted for the older ones. Are the children forced to eat their meals? Can the school cater for genuine allergies, (Not fussy eaters!) If your child is still a baby, check the policies on formulas, nappies, wet wipes etc. If the school supplies everything, it may be a little more expensive but well worth your while in terms of convenience. Look at the nappy changing areas, where everything should be neatly labelled and the area safe and well ventilated, with proper disposal facilities. Potty training areas should be bright and welcoming, with small toilets for children aged two plus. Are the baby rooms warm enough for the babies to play and crawl on the floor and not be kept in a cot all day. Who provides the cot linen and how often is it washed? There should be a nursing sister available for very young babies, as well as well-trained carers who will talk to and stimulate your child. The outdoor area should have grass, sand, water, shade and wheeled toys, as well as safe climbing and swinging equipment, appropriate for the different age groups. Children are stimulated by their environment so the garden should be attractive, bright and well supervised. Gross motor development underlies all other development at this age so there should be a minimum of an hour per morning and afternoon set aside for active, outdoor play. Last but not least, the atmosphere of the school should be welcoming and child friendly. Do not be swayed by the latest technological devices and lessons if the staff seem aloof and uncaring. With proper research your child should be happy and well stimulated in the chosen environment until it is time for Big School. Written By: Barbara Eaton (Academic Development Co-ordinator of ADvTECH Pre-Primary Schools)
The world of work is changing more rapidly than ever before. Shifts in economies and the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution leave parents anxious about their child’s future. This anxiety can often lead to frustration and conflict in the parent-child relationship, which seems to exacerbate both party’s concerns. From a career counselling perspective, here are three reasons why I believe it may be unfair for your child to commit to a career in high school.
So far, I have written about some of the difficulties experienced in raising and parenting one’s ADHD/ADD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/attention deficit disorder) child. Right now, it’s time to look at the many positives that ADHD children have – but please bear in mind that every child is different – they may all have the same diagnosis but they are all still their own people with their own temperaments, characteristics, personalities, etc. so the list that follows is a generalisation, and not necessarily applicable to all. Firstly, the ADHD symptom of hyperfocus is incredibly useful. When our children are interested in something, we all know how difficult it is to tear them away. When this is something important for their wellbeing and development such as a wonderful hobby, a subject they are incredibly interested in or learning a new skill, this hyperfocus is a total gift and keeps them on track for hours on end. Secondly, we often hear how adventurous, curious and hyperactive the ADHD child is – these are very positive qualities when channelled constructively. If one reads any book about entrepreneurs, successful businesspeople, etc. these are the qualities that are often used to describe them. Being curious means wanting to find out about things and pushing for more knowledge, the sense of adventure will direct the curiosity to exploration and experimentation and the busyness means that the person has the energy to do so. Within the context of work and life, these are very positive qualities when used effectively. Thirdly, the resourcefulness, innovativeness and inventiveness of these kids can be incredible. I have watched my one son use his artistic talent to sell his works online, get commissions from others and therefore earn money on the side (this was at 16 years old). This is a good example of using these characteristics to think out of the box, in a lateral way. And lastly, our children are often incredibly forgiving, good-hearted and gregarious. I believe that this stands them in good stead in their dealings with others. I can only be grateful for these qualities when I think back to my early struggles with my eldest son and how awful I was at times, and how close and connected we are today. Thank goodness for his forgiving, good-hearted nature! It’s important to be aware of the positives of these ADHD/ADD symptoms when we are caught in the morass of frustration and sometimes despair. We only need to think of Albert Einstein who was repeatedly seen as a poor student by his teachers and who only began to talk after the age of two. Today, he is recognised as having been ADHD. One of my favourite quotes by him is, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. This is often what happens with the ADD child in the school environment and it is often only after school that all of the so-called negative characteristics of ADHD are viewed in the positive light I have described above. Remember too Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Justin Timberlake, Michael Phelps as beautiful examples of ADHD people, and then go and give your child a big hug!
There is a lot of talk in South Africa about the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the need for education in the country to start preparing learners for the future world of work from a young age. Unfortunately in South Africa, resources are often lacking and many teachers are not yet equipped to teach coding. However this shouldn’t stop parents from encouraging their children to start with the basics of coding from a young age, an expert says. “As we teach our children to read and speak our mother tongue language so we should start with coding at an early age,” says John Luis, Head of Academics at ADvTECH Schools, a division of South Africa’s largest private education provider. “Parents who are not tech savvy may find this daunting, so the easiest way to start the children off will be to download some apps to their mobile devices which will use games to kick off the coding thought processes. Learning to code is like learning how to speak, read and write in a different language. Children are very good at learning a variety of languages from a young age so teaching them coding will be no different,” he says. Luis says that the importance of preparing children for a technologically-enabled future cannot be overstated. “Technology changes rapidly and our children must be able to adapt, be agile minded and most importantly prepared for the future working world. The 4IR should not be dismissed as a buzzword – it is real, and it is here where our lives will become intertwined with technology, the edges between reality and virtual worlds will blur and we need to ensure our children will be effective workers in this rapidly changing environment. “This means that in the future world of work, coding will be a fundamental digital skill which our children will need to be literate in much the same way we prepare our children with language, numeracy and physical skills. Coding is no longer a skill reserved for scientists, engineers and IT geeks.” Luis explains that the fourth industrial revolution is characterised by a rapidly developing technological environment in which disruptive technologies, the Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality, robotics and artificial intelligence are changing the way we exercise, play, study, live and work. “Behind this technology, functionality is achieved using code. It is how we communicate with computers, build websites, mobile apps, computer games and instruct robots. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already becoming more integrated into our homes. Smart TVs and watches, automated home management and security are only some of the examples where IoT is already used.” Like mathematics, becoming competent in the language of coding has many advantages beyond the obvious, he says. “Coding also helps with maths skills, it fosters creativity, improves problem solving abilities and can improve language and writing skills,” he says. Internationally coding has long been recognised as a future life skill and is offered as part of the normal primary school curriculum. In South Africa, high schools have had the subject from Grade 10 to 12 as a subject choice (Information Technology) for many years, but it was mostly offered to select learners based on their mathematics marks. Still, only a small percentage of schools have been able to offer the subject as it requires dedicated infrastructure and highly competent teachers. The situation looks better at progressive private schools, where coding has been introduced as part of the mainstream offering, from as early as pre-prep, where children are introduced via simple techniques and readily available software. “While many schools are still in the starting blocks, and most haven’t even arrived for the race yet, parents must realise that academic excellence and individual competitiveness in future will require a solid grasp of the language of technology. So the question of a school’s offering in this regard should be one they take very seriously before enrolling their child. “And where they do not yet have the option of enrolling their child in a school that incorporates coding as part of the mainstream offering – which is the reality for the majority of the country – they should ensure that their child isn’t left behind, by assisting them independently,” says Luis. One of the options available to these parents, is to search for holiday camps in their area. And where those are not offered, parents can start by helping their child download some of the various free mobile applications and software (listed below) which help young children to start coding, he says. * Scratch (https://scratch.mit.edu/educators) is a very effective free coding language that is designed specifically for ages 8 to 16 but can be used by people of all ages. * Alice (https://www.alice.org/) is a block-based programming environment that makes it easy to create animations, build interactive narratives, or program simple games in 3D. *Microsoft Minecraft Education an educational version of Minecraft, the game popular with children all over the world. (https://education.minecraft.net/) . * Roblox (https://developer.roblox.com/resources/education/Resources) caters for children from the ages of 8 to 14.
