Do you have a love for the ocean? Do you wonder about what life lives beneath the waves? Or perhaps you want to know why South Africa has such rich and diverse marine life? If it is your dream to become a marine biologist or an oceanographer then this course is for you.
The Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation will be offering a three-year online Marine Sciences course in 2021.
The course is aimed at commencing Grade 10 learners who would like to study Marine Sciences as an additional school subject. The subject will form part of their Matric certification and will be reflected on their final Matric Certificate.
The Aquarium Foundation is now offering a three-year online #MarineSciences course starting in 2021. The course is aimed at commencing Grade 10 learners. The subject will form part of their Matric certification and will be reflected on their final #MatricCertificate. pic.twitter.com/WsUSrfhX5A
— Two Oceans Aquarium (@2OceansAquarium) December 21, 2020
After many years of offering highly informative and sought-after courses, the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation was approached by the Western Cape Education Department to use the content from these courses and to write up a curriculum for a formal school subject. The subject, Marine Sciences, was included for the first time as a formal Matric subject in 2020 with six schools offering it to their students.
The subject is based on four pillars: Marine Biology, Oceanography, Ocean Ecosystems, and Humans and the Ocean. Within these four pillars, there are 85 topics, including marine phyla, water chemistry, gas laws used for diving science, sustainable seafood aquaculture and Marine Protected Areas.
The online course offered by the Aquarium Foundation will be easily accessible through teaching via Zoom as well as the Foundation’s own e-learning platform. Each learner’s time-commitment to the course will entail four hours per week which will be divided into two two-hour sessions on Monday and Wednesday afternoons (exact times and dates to be confirmed), starting 25 January 2021.
The online teaching will take place during the South African public school terms, with opportunities for practical learning offered during South African public school holidays.
Examinations will be written at the learners’ local school or at an official examination centre. Any learner who is entering Grade 10 in 2021, and who is interested in signing up for the course, must register Marine Sciences as one of their subject choices at their school.
Cost for the course is R6 255 for 2021 with a slight increase projected year on year.
The course is not limited to Grade 10s. Adults with an interest in the ocean are also welcome to sign up. Examinations and assessments will be arranged with each individual adult participant.
You are also welcome to contact the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation on [email protected] if you have any questions or register online here.
Picture: Twitter/@2OceansAquarium