geography lessons

MTN Sciencentre booking coordinator Carmen Solomons says that despite the school spring break, 15 schools are coming this week. That's in addition to the programme laid on for children on holiday. It's a hive of activity.

Official (ie, busloads of ...) visitors this week include Tumisani Primary School in Senekal, on the banks of the Klipspruit in the eastern reaches of the Free State, Isagontle Primary in Mothibistad in the westernmost part of the North West province and Sol Plaaitjie Primary from the ''Big Hole'': diamond town Kimberley in the Northern Cape.

On Monday it was the turn of students from the Northern Cape's Springbok district, specifically from Sacred Heart Primary School in the town of Nababeep, the largest of the Namaqualand copper mining towns.

They shared the venue with learners from Laërskool Frans Conradie in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape and yet more learners, this time from John D. Crawford Primêre Skool in Beaufort West at the foot of the Nuweveld Mountain Range in the Great Karoo.

Aha-Setjhaba Primary in Parys in Free State visited the MTN Sciencentre on Tuesday(September 25). Johan Rampa, the head of department at the school, said his 39 learners enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

The students from Repholositwe High from Bultfontein in the Goldfields district of the Free State also came on Tuesday. And Lucinda Malan brought the Amy Biehl Foundation, courtesy of sponsorship from the Department of Science and Technology.

Wednesday it's the turn of 43 children from the Etafeni day care centre in Nyanga East, led by educator Bongi Nokonongo. ''Not enough time,'' said Bongi Nokonongo. ''When there's a facilitor to help them with the games, the children enjoy it.''

They were joined on Wednesday by students from Mohalathali, a Cape Town educational organisation.

Courtesy of sponsorship from the Department of Science and Technology, 60 more students from the ages of 5 to 17 came to the science centre from Badisa Wynberg with staff member Haziel Solomons. This is an Afrikaans and English Christian developmental social service program working in the southern suburbs, from Wynberg down to West Lake. Badisa is a Tswana word meaning "herder" or "versorger". The organisers say ''Die naam is ’n samevoeging van BARMHARTIGHEID, DIENS/DIAKONAAT en SAAM.''

So you could say the MTN Sciencentre has been herding children towards science all week.