Learners get varsity experience

Join the club: Dr Max Price welcomed MSEP learners to the winter revision school.

UCT is giving scores of high school learners a taste of university life as it hosts the residential winter revision school this week.

About 175 grade 12 learners selected from the five local schools that form part of the Mathematics & Science Education Project (MSEP), which is run by UCT's Schools Development Unit (SDU), are spending a week at Carinus and Clarendon residences while being offered matric revision in key subjects.

Vice-chancellor, Dr Max Price, welcomed the learners from the five MSEP schools - Harry Gwala in Khayelitsha, Rhodes High in Mowbrary, Spine Road in Mitchell's Plain, Sophumelela in Philippi, and Thandokhulu in Mowbrary.

Dr Jonathan Clark, director of SDU, said learners are also provided with information about study opportunities at UCT, particularly on the admissions process and financial aid, to encourage them to choose the university after matriculating. A crucial element in the "bridge-building" between school and university is the exposure to university life, Clark notes, and a group of 24 students from various faculties are acting as mentors to learners.

"They have given up their time to help, counsel and motivate learners to be successful in their end-of-year exams, so they can consider furthering their studies in science and mathematics-related fields of study at UCT," Clark explains.