Engineers in the making

Making plans: A pensive-looking COSAT team of Nobenathi Bungane, Lizo Shona and Cholidiza Bomi at the annual Minquiz competition

Just over 100 grade 12 learners from 32 local high schools took part in the annual Western Cape Minquiz Competition at Rondebosch Boys' High School on 15 May.

Minquiz is regarded as South Africa's premier annual national science competition for grade 12 learners, and has been running since 1988. Questions are in the areas of the sciences, mathematics, minerals and metallurgy, and general knowledge in science and technology, and are in line with the Revised National Curriculum Statement.

Sea Point High School, COSAT and Eben Donges High School took the top three spots in the oral quiz's gold category, while Diocesan College (Bishops) finished first in the platinum category, followed by SACS and Paarl Boys'.

Matthew Murray of Eben Donges won the written quiz (gold) section, pipping Lilona Sibongile Ndlwana of COSAT and Teodor Roelofse of Sea Point High. In turn, Andre Olivier of Stellenberg High, Thomas Weighill of Paarl Boys' and Matthew Gadd of Fish Hoek High were the top three students in the platinum category.

The event also included a workshop for teachers on practical ways to teach mining and minerals processing, two subjects recently included in the school curriculum.

The chemical engineering departments of UCT, the Cape Peninsula Technikon of Technology and the University of Stellenbosch take turns to organise the event. This year, it was the turn of UCT, with Paul Bepswa taking charge.