The education department in Gauteng has teamed up with Nasdaq-listed technology firm Honeywell to launch Futureshaper Lab at St Barnabas School of Specialisation.
The new robotics and coding education centre in Bosmont in the West Rand, which aims to boost the digital skills among the learners, will benefit more than 200 school children a year. It will embark on a specialised education programme designed to boost their knowledge and proficiency in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Honeywell sub-Saharan president Denver Dreyer said as a technology company with a history in South Africa dating back more than 50 years, the company is heavily invested in helping the country expand its pipeline of exciting, talented and ambitious engineers of the future across its STEM-related sectors.
“Honeywell is delighted to sponsor and equip the new Futureshaper Lab alongside our partner GDE [Gauteng department of education] to help provide young people with the skills they need to take these technologies forward in years to come, and make the world a smarter, safer and more sustainable place through innovation,” said Dreyer.
Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said: “Indeed, we are excited about this initiative. It will have a huge impact in improving the skills in learners. We believe this lab is a great addition to our efforts to generate learner interest in STEM subjects, which will be beneficial to their careers.”
Lesufi thanked all the stakeholders including Honeywell for heeding the call and “investing in the education of our learners”.
The St Barnabas School of Specialisation, formerly St Barnabas College, was launched in 2019 to offer a highly specialised curriculum and nurture the development of top talent in Gauteng across key technology-related disciplines.
[WATCH] Meet Xyolan Adams, a Grade 8 learner at St Barnabas Mathematics, Science and ICT School of Specialisation. Inside the #Futureshaper Lab, Xyolan built a robot that can detect lines on a surface and follow them. @honeywell @Lesufi pic.twitter.com/Fpv9H5v5TF
— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) August 11, 2022
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