The Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Advocate Michael Masutha, will hand over the Mondi Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Mostem) Library to the community of Piet Retief on Saturday, 22 February.

Piet Retief is in the Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga.

Built on the grounds of the Mondi Science Centre with a R560 000 contribution from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the library specialises in science, technology, engineering and mathematics information – benefiting learners and teachers from foundation to secondary level.

The 122 m2 Mostem Library complements the services offered at the Mondi Science Centre, which include science career guidance and further education and training.

On average, approximately 18 000 learners from around the Gert Sibande District Municipality visit the science centre each year. They can now also use the library to help with their studies.

The handover is part of the department’s campaign to promote mathematics and science education in the country, and the Deputy Minister will address over 100 learners at the handover.

Mpumalanga will be the third province to be visited by the Deputy Minister since the beginning of the school term. In January he visited schools and science centres in Limpopo and North West to promote the DST’s Youth into Science Strategy, which is intended to stimulate young people’s interest in science, engineering and technology.

The strategy is a DST initiative to support the Department of Basic Education, and includes complementing the teaching and learning of mathematics and science informally through a network of science centres.