NORTHERN CAPE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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NORTHERN CAPE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

• AQUATIC WEEDS
• PRESENTATION
• A DEPARTMENTAL PERSPECTIVE

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HOW DID WE GET STARTED?

• The National Working for Water Program is
  currently embarking on an Education Awareness
  Project with regard to the Vaal River System.
  This project was brought about due to the
  devastating impacts of Invasive Aquatic Plants on
  our water resources, as well as the fact that the
  issue of Invasive Alien Plants is incorporated in
  the School Curriculum.

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BACKGROUND

• The proliferation of Water hyacinth, together
  with other invasive aquatic plants on the Vaal
  River System in South Africa poses a huge threat
  to the ability of this system to meet the needs
  of the millions of people dependent on it.
• As a Department we would like to educate
  learners, parents and the communities regarding
  invasive plants.

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STARTING WITH THE BASICS

• WORKSHOPS HELD IN WARRENTON
• The Project Co-coordinator in collaboration with
  the Department of Education held a number of
  workshops in order to initiate this project.
• The first workshop was held with the Principal
  and the staff of Warrenvale High School, and
  focused on a generic introduction to Invasive
  Alien Plants. This workshop was held at
  Warrenvale School on the 18 February 2010.
• The staff was also briefed on the project and the
  benefits that it would have for their school,
  teachers and learners.

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TEACHERS FROM WARRENVAL HIGH SCHOOL

• This workshop exposed teachers to both
  terrestrial an aquatic weeds, and was presented
  by Mrs. Lorraine Williams

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LEARNER WORKSHOPS

• The second workshop was held at the Warrenton
  Library on Saturday the 27 February 2010, for 5
  learners from the 12 surrounding schools. The
  attendance was good and we had 53 learners attend
  the workshop.
• The learners were introduced to both terrestrial
  as well as aquatic invasive plants. Learners were
  provided with resources to identify the invasive
  plants, and this knowledge was consolidated by
  practical identification of the invasives.

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LEARNERS AT THE WORKSHOP

• ACTIVITIES WERE HANDS-ON AND LEARNERS WERE ALSO
  EXPECTED TO DO PRESENTATIONS

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EXCURSION TO THE RIVER

• Learners searching for the elusive Hyacinth after
  the flood. Three lucky learners who managed to
  spot a young Water Hyacinth

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INVOLVING OTHER SCHOOLS

• A workshop was also held on the 05 -06 March 2010
  with teachers from the 12 schools in the
  Warrenton region. This workshop focused on
  training teachers on terrestrial and aquatic
  invasive plants. Teachers were also given
  resources that would assist them to identify both
  terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants.
• The workshop was poorly attended, even though the
  school principals and teachers had confirmed
  their attendance, and this can be attributed to
  the fact that the workshops were held on a Friday
  and Saturday. Schools were also involved in
  sporting events that would grant learners
  opportunity to be selected for the various
  Provincial sporting codes.
• The teachers however that attended the workshop
  both Friday and Saturday are committed to making
  a success of the project as they see potential
  value it holds.

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IDENTIFICATION OF PLANTS DURING THE TEACHER
WORKSHOPS
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RHODES UNIVERSITY

• Sunday 07 March 2010, five officials and seven
  teachers departed for Rhodes University for an
  on-site session on aquatic weeds with Prof.
  Martin Hill and Dr Julie Coetzee on the 08 March
  2010.
• Prof. Hill first held a briefing session which
  included the history of Bio-control in South
  Africa, the bio-control agents that we would be
  investigating and management of a breeding site.
  The delegation was then taken to the breeding
  site for on-site inspection and to participate in
  hands-on activities which included
  catching/harvesting the weevils.
• The weevils caught were then taken to the lab
  where they were investigated under microscopes.
• These sessions were very educational and
  informative

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Teachers and official participating in activities
at Rhodes
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SELECTING A PILOT SCHOOL

• Warrenvale High School was selected as the pilot
  school for the Water Hyacinth Project.
• The school will establish a breeding site for the
  biological control agents for Water Hyacinth.
• After breeding the weevils, they will be
  harvested and released onto the Vaal River System
  ( identified sites)

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THE BREEDING/ MASS REARING SITE

• The school identified a dysfunctional cricket net
  as the breeding site.
• Cricket South Africa might not agree that this is
  the best site.

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BEFORE

• AFTER

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CHALLENGES WITH POOLS

• The extreme cold resulted in us having poor
  quality plants with which to stock the pools.
• The cold also influenced the growth and
  reproduction rate.

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CHALLENGES

• The recent floods have washed away most of the
  Water Hyacinth.
• They are now however spread further down the Vaal
  River System.
• The Winter conditions has disguised the impact of
  the flood.
• The summer months will reveal the true effect of
  the flood

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CURRICULUM CHALLENGES

• Most teachers did not specialize in Invasive
  Terrestrial and Aquatic plants.
• The content within the curriculum is very
  superficial.
• Content for the GET is not specified.
• The examples available to study vary from
  province to province, even from district to
  district.

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CURRICULUM CHALLENGES CONT.

• Effective teacher training needs to take place.
• The Curriculum Review also needs to speak to the
  content required for grades 4-12
• The uncertainty of the content/ Learning Area
  changes might also influence the weighting given
  to invasive plant species.

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DEPARTMENTAL CHALLENGES

• No budget for teacher training ,material
  development, etc.
• The National Strike has resulted in learners
  being withdrawn from activities. (especially
  grade 12)
• Teachers will also be involved in recovery
  programmes.

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POSITIVE ASPECTS

• The teachers who are currently involve in the
  project are very positive and enthusiastic.
• The Department of Education in collaboration with
  RHODES and WITS will be developing content
  guidelines for teachers.
• Teachers will also receive support from RHODES
  and WITS with regard to Lesson Plans
• The weevils were released onto the plants on the
  13 September 2010

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FORMAL LAUNCH

• The Ministerial Launch would have taken place on
  the 07 October 2010.
• In order to adhere to the National Ministers
  request not to disrupt school , and to keep all
  learners in the class, a MEDIA LAUNCH will take
  place on the 09 October 2010 at Warrenvale High
  School.

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THANK YOU, DANKIE, KEALEBOGA