As part of its drive to reach previously disadvantaged schools in and around Pretoria, especially those who have limited or no access to information about tertiary education, the Faculty of Theology joined hands with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Education and visited three high schools in and around Atteridgeville during August 2015.

Students and staff in the Faculty reached roughly 400 matriculants attending Saulridge Secondary School, Flavius Mareka High School and Edward Phatudi Comprehensive School, introducing them to the Theology degrees offered and telling them about university life in general.

According to Ms Shila Mphahlele of the Gauteng Provincial Department of Education, she saw a need to collaborate with UP’s Faculty of Theology to motivate learners, and also because most of the province’s learners have no knowledge of theology and what it entails. 

“For the future I would like Theology students to become mentors to our high school learners in terms of youth life skills, decision making skills, stress management, discipline  etc.,” she adds.

The main aim of these school visits is to empower and motivate learners, and to help them make informed decisions about their future. The project kicked off in February 2015 and already reached out to secondary schools in Hammanskraal and Soshanguve, where the participating student groups and staff members empowered the Grade 11 and Grade12 learners with information that is not usually readily available to them.

Ms Maleshoane Mofokeng, Student Advisor and Project Coordinator in the Faculty of Theology, says that the Faculty plans to also target churches to distribute information about UP’s Theology degrees.