SANCOR Newsletter Issue #170: June 2002
SAIAB's Mobile Education Service
Vanessa Rouhani
he South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) has been donated a Toyota Coaster bus by theMethodist Education Initiative in Gauteng, to be used as a mobile education service. A local competition was held for learners to submit their ideas for naming the bus as well as artwork. TheFantastic Fish Tank is to be fitted out with educational resources, and will be used not only to reach local learners, but also further a-field, with possible excursions to other provinces.
The Foundation for Education, Science and Technology (FEST) recently donated R30 000 towards decorating, customising and equipping the bus. This enabled SAIAB to employ Mr Anthony Dodds, an artist from Durban, to paint the outside of the bus in an underwater theme, after which the inside of the bus will be refurbished. Mr Anol Jattiem of Autoclinic (Grahamstown) kindly offered space in his showroom to accommodate the bus while it was being painted.
Although the Fantastic Fish Tankwill not be available to visit all schools, the main aim of the project is to reach rural and historically disadvantaged schools. Talks, slide shows, workshops, etc., will be offered. The bus itself is a resource in that it will be fitted out for the children to visit and use. It will be set up with teaching materials and equipment, such as displays, live fish and dead specimens, books and videos. The long-term goal will be to fit the bus with a computer station and a microscope bench for interactive learning activities.
The Institute is very grateful to the donors for enabling it to develop the Mobile Education Service as an outreach tool for disseminating knowledge to various communities.
Mr Khanyile Jezi, the Education Liaison Officer at the SAIAB with the newly painted mobile education service