Page 35 - EngineerIT April May Issue 2026
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EDUCATION
LEAP’s approach is also not narrowly Schools like LEAP help do that. They widen the path into technical
academic. Emotional wellbeing, accountability and scientific fields for learners who might otherwise never get
and belonging form part of the daily culture close enough to picture themselves there.
rather than being treated as side issues.
Learners are fed, supported and expected to They also remind us that community upliftment and skills
participate fully. In practice, that creates the development are closely linked. When a learner from Diepsloot
kind of consistency that sustained academic gains access to strong science and maths teaching, it expands the
effort requires. country’s future pool of technical talent. It creates movement where
there was exclusion. It strengthens families, communities and, in
This is especially important in communities time, the sectors that depend on skilled people coming through.
where many young people are carrying
pressures that extend far beyond the LEAP 4 is one campus in a wider network, but its significance
classroom. A school cannot solve every points to a broader truth about South Africa’s outlook. If the
social challenge around it, but it can country is serious about building capacity in engineering, STEM
become a place where standards are high, and other high-skill sectors, then access to quality education
support is real and hope is backed by cannot remain uneven. It has to be widened and strengthened
routine, effort and belief. where it is needed most.
That helps explain why the model is so When I left LEAP 4, I did not leave thinking only about one
relevant to the engineering and technology impressive school. I left thinking about what South Africa says it
sectors. Technical fields do not only need wants: more opportunity, more mobility, more technical skills and
bright learners. They need learners who broader access to the future. Schools like LEAP are helping to build
have had the chance to develop discipline, that path.
resilience, problem-solving ability and
confidence over time. They need young This is part of the country’s wider economic story.
people who can picture themselves in those
spaces because somebody has made that Explore the LEAP approach or add your support:
future visible. https://leapschool.org.za/
Leap staff
