Earlier this week, the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ) celebrated and honoured a proud group of Saldanha Bay Grade 8 and 9 mathematics teachers. They had recently completed the Professional Development Programme in the Applications of Dynamic Software for Secondary Mathematics Teachers.
This SBIDZ programme was run in collaboration with the universities of Stellenbosch and the Witwatersrand and had the full support of the Western Cape Education Department. The keynote address at the ceremony was given by the Superintendent-General of the department, Brent Walters.
The teachers had been part of a project within the SBIDZ Saldanha Bay Schools’ Development Programme. The SBIDZ is currently working with nine public schools. We recognise that schools are a very important place to connect with the people and the community on a daily basis. Schools are where we will draw our future engineers, software programmers, logistics experts, innovators and new teachers from. They will be the leaders of a re-imagined, prosperous Saldanha Bay region in the future.
We need to ensure our learners are equipped for the world of tomorrow. But equally important is to make sure their teachers are better equipped and supported to provide them with that knowledge. The Professional Development Programme acknowledged the vital role teachers have as leaders of social and economic change and in helping to shape this future.
Digital technologies in education require the relevant digital skills for both teachers and learners. The mathematics teaching and learning initiative gave teachers the tools to use dynamic software for teaching mathematics in secondary schools. It also focused on educational leadership development, recognising the crucial role teachers have in the community.
We must be prepared to respond to the promises of prosperity that we and our public and private business partners believe is possible. That is why it is so important for us to engage with and support local communities and businesses by providing the skills and knowledge for them to compete regionally and globally.
At the end of the month we shall be attending the 2022 South African Investment Conference, where we and our stakeholders, primarily the Saldanha Bay Municipality (SBM) and the Transnet National Port Authority TNPA) will follow-up on the R3.5 billion Phase 1 the Port of Saldanha Bay port infrastructure project. This development is an essential part of national and regional infrastructure development.
Both of these are pioneering exercises and, I believe, will lead the way in creating a sustainable and prosperous future for the region.
