Diazville High School shines in provincial PET competition

Diazville High School from Saldanha was crowned the winner of the annual Participatory Educational Techniques (PET) provincial competition at the Gene Louw Traffic College, Brackenfell on 12 September 2015. The school won the R12 000 first prize.

The five learners from this West Coast school will now represent the Western Cape in the national competition to be held from 5 to 9 October in Gauteng. The provincial competition was arranged by the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works. Spes Bona High School from Athlone came second followed by Makupula High School from Stellenbosch. The schools received prizes of R7 500 and R5 500 respectively.

The competition is a technology transfer project aimed at changing learner attitudes towards road safety through participatory education. The project challenges learners from Grade 10 and 11 to identify road safety problems in their communities and to find research-based solutions. Competing schools were adjudicated on: 1) the quality of their models (displays); and 2) their presentations on research-based solutions to road safety problems in their communities.

The team from Diazville is looking forward to compete in the national PET competition. Denecké Joos (18), a Grade 11 learner, says winning the competition was a proud achievement. “We faced many challenges as we prepared for the event. Despite this, we came out on top, and will make use of the advice we received from the adjudicators and department officials to prepare for the nationals,” said Joos.

Director of Road Safety Management, Mark Jansen, said the Department’s road safety officers will be assisting the school in the following weeks to prepare them for the national PET competition.