1983The Primary Science Programme (PSP) is initiated by Mrs. Ann Griffiths and established as a project of the Urban Foundation, Cape Town.
Ann had identified critical shortcomings in primary science education in the schools run by the Department of Education and Training, responsible for African education throughout South Africa.
During the years of "Bantu Education", African schools had to follow a separate and inferior science syllabus with very poor resources and no equipment provided to schools.
The PSP provides pupil participation primary science Care Kits produced by the Cripple Care Association workshop, in Athlone. The kits are stocked with enough apparatus to allow pupils in large classes to work with the equipment in groups. A whole day week-long training is provided in co-operation with the Department.
1985 An upgraded syllabus for all the separate and racially segregated Departments of Education is implemented. Teachers ask the PSP to run workshops on different science topics, which they have not been trained to teach.
The PSP facilitates full day content and methodology workshops, culminating in work with children. The interaction with teachers is documented and developed into workshop handbooks with lesson plans and ideas for enrichment.
1987 The PSP now operates from four additional centres: Durban (1984), Port Elizabeth (1984), Johannesburg (1986) and Bloemfontein (1987).
1989The Cape Town PSP moves to the Uluntu Centre in Gugulethu - for the first time based close to the schools where we work. We institute an annual forum, where teachers prioritise areas of focus and help plan the PSP workshop programme for the year.
The PSP recognizes the importance of language in Science Education and employs a Language Co-ordinator. 1990 The PSP begins offering workshops and support in additional subjects - History, Geography and Language across the Curriculum.
1993 The National PSP Trust is registered as a non-profit Trust, with a national office in Johannesburg. It receives generous funding and support from organisations such as Joint Education Trust (JET) and the Independent Development Trust (IDT) which saw the importance of supporting science education at the primary school level. 1994 Under the new political dispensation, all education departments amalgamate. The National Education Department introduces the Interim Core Syllabus for Science. The PSP, together with teachers, formally assists the Western Cape Education Department to clarify the syllabus and give practical suggestions for its implementation. A National Manager, Peter Glover, is appointed.
1997
The National Department seconds 36 experienced teachers to work with the PSP in projects in all nine provinces of the new South Africa. 1998The Western Cape PSP is selected to join a consortium of NGOs (along with UWC’s TIP, UCT’s SDU and ESST) to work in close partnership with the Western Cape Education Department to support teaching in Mathematics, Science, Language as well as the management of schools in urban and rural areas of the province. The GETinSET project is funded by the DG Murray Trust and the Rockefeller’s Brothers Fund and runs until 2001.
June 1999The National PSP Trust closes down, due to lack of funding.
Aug 1999
The PSP in the Western Cape re-establishes itself as the Western Cape Primary Science Programme Trust, with a new Joint Management Board and independent 18A and 10(1)f tax status. All provincial projects continue uninterrupted and all staff are maintained. 1999The National Education Department introduces the New Curriculum for Education in SA: Curriculum 2005 (C2005). In response to requests, the PSP run seminars and practical, hands-on workshops for all the staff at many schools to explain the structure of the new National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and to interpret the requirements of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). 2000 The National Education Department introduces the C2005 Policy Documents. The Natural Sciences Learning Area is now divided into four main strands: Earth & Beyond, Life & Living, Energy & Change, Matter & Materials. Teachers were expected to design learning materials and teach towards nine 'specific outcomes'.
2002 After 11 years, the PSP moves from the Uluntu Centre, Guguletu following the deteriorating security situation, to the Edith Stephens Wetland Park in Lansdowne Road in Philippi – a City of Cape Town reserve.
We launch the PSP Cluster Project which works each year with the Education District Offices in clusters of schools to improve the planning, teaching and assessment of Natural Science.
The regular programme of short courses continues for teachers of the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Mathematics and Language.
2003 The PSP initiates an independent, longitudinal evaluation, conducted by Prof Clifford Malcolm of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
We start the Hands-on-Environment Project which encourages and resources teachers to bring their learners to the Edith Stephens Wetland Park on educational outings. This project was funded by the National Lottery for the first three years.
2004The PSP wins tenders to offer the WCED official Natural Sciences Training courses for 300 Intermediate Phase teachers over the next three years, with a follow up course in 2008.
The PSP, together with the EMDC SOUTH and the Shuttleworth Foundation, embarks on 'H' Project. PSP works with the Foundation Phase teachers in nine schools to support Natural Sciences investigations for young learners. This is the first time that the PSP has worked to take science to children in their first years of schooling.
The PSP co-ordinates the TWW Project working in all West Coast Winelands primary schools in the areas of Mathematics, Science and Technology, in partnership with the WCED, IMSTUS, SDU and ORT-TECH.
2005Longitudinal evaluation of the PSP concluded.
2007 The PSP Cluster Project begins a three year evaluated cycle in five districts.
The Metropole South District invites the PSP to participate in a consortium of providers for the Zenex Spark Project - a three-year evaluated teacher development project focusing on Mathematics and English and funded by the Zenex Foundation.
2008The regular programme of courses is now known as the PSP Innovation Project and has expanded to offer 196 hours of course time for teachers in Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Environment and Language. New resource materials are developed each year drawn from our engagement with teachers.
2009 The PSP appoints a new Director and staff grows to 13. Two three-year projects, the Zenex Spark Project and the PSP Cluster Project are concluded, with the positive external Evaluation Report on the Cluster Project released in August. The first PSP Conference of Teachers is held in October, with teachers presenting their best practice leading from the Cluster Project experience.
2010The PSP experiences a serious cash-flow crisis and the trustees take steps to restructure the PSP management in order to streamline and improve operations. Despite new Education Department policies, the PSP continues its project work from term 2.
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