Orientation pulls them in

Parents from as far afield as Malawi, Botswana and Zambia flocked to UCT in droves on February 3 to attend the ever-popular Parents' Orientation Programme.

Approximately 1 800 guardians turned up to collect information on university life from the various stalls, attend hour-on-the-hour talks, join library and campus tours, listen to a welcome address by Vice-Chancellor Professor Njabulo Ndebele and talks by faculty deans.

According to Mary Hilton, one of the organisers, the success of the event can be attributed to the programme's flexibility as well as the participation by many staff members, who willingly gave of their time and expertise.

"We cater for parents coming from out of town as well as those who can only attend once they have finished work. We also provide parents with the opportunity to collect as much information as possible on important matters such as adjusting to being the parent of a UCT student, safety and security and career development issues, as well as allowing time for questions."