Durban — Durban High School won the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) Bridge-Building Competition for the second consecutive year last year.
The pupils managed to construct the most robust timber sticks and glue bridge.
The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral) sponsored the 34th Saice Bridge-Building Competition held at Durban High School on Thursday, in keeping with the spirit of the late Nelson Mandela to empower children through education.
Thirteen schools participated in the competition, which not only forms an integral part of several schools’ activity calendars recognised on the same level as academic or sports achievements but also sees some schools incorporating it as part of their curriculum.
Other competing schools included Fairvale High School, Northmead Secondary School, Durban Girls High School, Al Falaah College, St Henry’s Marist College, Umlazi Commercial High School, Centenary Secondary, Maris Stella School, Sastri College, Our Lady of Fatima School, Ganges Secondary School and Hillview Secondary School.
Durban High School won the bridge-building competition for the second consecutive year for constructing the most robust timber sticks and glue bridge. Fairvale High School and Northmead Secondary School grabbed second and third place and took these titles for the second year in a row.
Northmead Secondary School was also awarded the Professor Leveritt Innovation Award.
The winners from Saice branches countrywide will compete for the coveted shield and cash prizes for team members and schools at the national competition held in Midrand, Johannesburg, on August 23.
“Sanral’s partnership with Saice started three years ago through the common interest of giving learners practical engineering education. The annual bridge-building competition builds the learners’ confidence to forge on with engineering as a career and exposes them to the technical skills required for practising professionals,” said Sanral Eastern Region marketing and communications co-ordinator Nomcebo Cebekhulu.
Saice Durban chairperson Sam Pillay thanked all the sponsors for their continued support of the annual bridge-building competition and wished the winners good luck for the national finals.
Additionally, Sanral has planned a site visit for the top three schools to one of the N2/N3 projects ahead of the finals to further inform them about bridge-building principles and the civil engineering industry.
Seatides Secondary School, one of the worst schools affected by the tornado that hit oThongathi on June 3, was the guest of honour at the event.
Saice and its industry partners collectively donated R11 000 to Seatides Combined School to address immediate needs, especially those related to specialist subjects. Seatides also received an award of encouragement during this difficult time. The school continues to welcome any aid available and can be contacted directly.
Department for Maths and Science head at the school, Yeshvira Brijal, explained that the devastation caused by the tornado was traumatic to the community and schools.
“We had just bought equipment for our science and computer laboratories three days before the tornado. This was most devastating to the learners because our children would have new and modern materials in their labs for the first time in many years. Most of our kids still have not written the second term assessments due to the damage to our school and the lack of infrastructure to accommodate them at neighbouring schools. Some remain homeless and displaced,” Brijal said.
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