The Gauteng department of education (GDE) hosted a festival on Tuesday to celebrate the creativity and innovation of pupils from schools focused on maths, science, ICT and engineering.
The Schools of Specialisation (SOS) Festival took place on Tuesday, at Letsibogo Girls Maths, Science and ICT School of Specialisation in Meadowlands, Soweto.
Pupils presented their smart, real-world solutions using skills in science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and maths (known as Stream). Of the 28 schools that participated, nine focus on engineering and 19 on mathematics, science and ICT.
Soshanguve school wins engineering category
The Soshanguve Engineering School of Specialisation in Pretoria took first place in the engineering category designed and built by five girls. Allessandra Mokheleng, Ofentse Matabane, Matladi Pudikabekwa, Shania Mupondi and Lisnet Rufu showcased an electric airplane prototype that operates without jet fuel or water emissions. The innovation demonstrates how clean energy can revolutionise aviation and reduce environmental impact.
Rufu she said when they first came together, it wasn’t about the competition or recognition but rather curiosity and a shared drive to create something new.
“As young women interested in innovation, we looked around and noticed something striking. While women were breaking ground in so many fields, aviation still had too few of us. That absence wasn’t just a statistic; it was a challenge, a space waiting to be transformed,” she said.
Mokheleng said for her, the project was all about testing her ability and seeing how far she could go. “Getting first place at the festival proved to me that I can tap into my potential and reach my ability, which cleared the doubt I had about myself,” she said.
Pudikabekwa said winning erased any doubts she had in herself after the criticism she faced for going to school on Saturdays. “Winning the competition made me happy. It proved my capabilities and strengths,” she said.
Randburg school wins maths, science and ICT category
Another school that took first place in the maths, science and ICT category was St Barnabas School of Specialisation in Randburg.
Daniel Starr, Talia Moyce, Tashrieq Mangera, Chloe Wheats and Shawn Makandinzwa created a learner-coded website designed to digitise the election of representative councils of learners (RCLs), with potential to extend it to school governing bodies (SGBs) in the future.
The pupils said the project was inspired by the inefficiency of the current electoral process used for the RCL and SGB elections.
“The process is not entirely transparent or fair and incurs unnecessary costs. The voting process needs to be secure and transparent, with no single party or person able to manipulate results. This also allows all learners and parents to view the live voting and counting, and therefore ensure accountability,” they said.
Winning grounded their belief in teamwork, the pupils added.
“Coming second in 2024 was also a driving force. Setting standards is what we constantly strive for. Hearing our school’s name was the most emotional moment we experienced.”
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane praised the pupils for their dedication and smart thinking.
“These projects are more than just science and technology; they teach learners important life lessons — like teamwork, making mistakes and learning from them, and never giving up,” he said.
The schools of specialisation programme is one of the most important ways the department is connecting education with the working world, he added.
TimesLIVE
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