Saul Berman was told by his teachers that he wouldn’t succeed because he couldn’t work in the traditional educational system; well, he turned those negative comments into the fuel that built his life, and now he is giving back to learners just like himself, who need a more hands-on approach.
South Africa (19 December 2024) – Some teachers can be unkind and unsupportive, especially for learners deemed as difficult. But what if all that is needed is some hands-on learning and a chance to try technical skills instead? What if it’s this simple addition to education that turns it all around, and a once “difficult” learner becomes top of the class? For Saul Berman, he just needed to try schooling using his hands.
When Saul Berman looks back on his schooling days, he remembers the pains of alienation and lack of acceptance as a child when his drive to pursue technical studies at school was met with derision and discouragement from his teachers, who all questioned his ability to succeed.
“I know what it’s like to feel lost, and I know what it’s like to be made to feel unwanted or unneeded or actually to feel useless. I was told by my teachers that I would never amount to anything.”
Today, Saul is widely known as a successful Cape Town building developer in business circles. He has built up a successful life, and he did it himself, despite what his teachers thought of him.
Wanting to address the inadequacies in education, Saul teamed up with his brother Paul to found The Hands On Foundation Charitable Trust. The hope is to add technical subjects and skills at mainstream schools so that students who feel lost in the traditional education system can get their hands dirty and learn technical skills that are better suited to their own personal learning styles.
To pilot this idea, they selected the Wynberg Boys’ High School to implement the project. They set out to build a state-of-the-art technical facility for the students to take on more practical and technical school subjects. In February 2020, Phase 1 of the state-of-the-art complex was completed, and the Technical Engineering Faculty opened its doors to students. Phase 2 saw the addition of the Design faculty, which was followed in 2021 and has proven highly successful.
“The lack of technical skills within the workforce is evident and our aim is to produce young men already skilled in these areas, ready to go on and study engineering, architecture, construction or enter a trade in their field of choice was the driving concept behind this project“. – Jan de Waal, Principal of Wynberg Boys’ High School
In February 2025, the ground will be broken at the second school initiative at Wittedrift High School. The building phase will run throughout the year, with plans for the Technical Engineering Faculty to be opened in November 2025, allowing learners to enrol from 2026.
“I want to change the school curriculum across the country. We have done it through the Technical and Engineering Faculty we first created at Wynberg High School and now we’re deep into planning the next faculty building at Wittedrift High School.” – Saul Berman
Three more schools in the Cape have been identified for future development, with the plan to roll out the project nationwide thereafter. The Hands On Foundation Charitable Trust was created as a vehicle and foundation to fundraise for technical education. The foundation is committed to covering all running costs so that all donations made by the public go to their selected projects in full.
The Wittedrift High Technical Engineering Faculty is being funded by donors, with the building designed as a facility that will include workshops, classrooms, and storerooms. It will cater to around 60 learners from grades 10, 11 and 12. The subjects in the faculty will include Civil Technology and Engineering Graphics and Design.
The learners will need to take Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Engineering Graphics and Design, and Civil Technology.
To find out how to get involved, check out the website here. If you have an interest in learning more about the curriculum or enrolling, please contact Vanessa Greyling (WHS Deputy Principal) – whsdeputyprincipal@gmail.com
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