William Smith (South African)
Encyclopedia
William Smith is South Africa
's best-known and most popular television
science and mathematics teacher.
and attended St. Andrew's Prep before matriculating at Union High School
in Graaff-Reinet. He then went on to study at Rhodes University
, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree
in physics
and chemistry
, followed by an honours degree (cum laude) in chemistry at the same institution. Following that, he obtained a masters degree from the University of Natal
(Pietermaritzburg
campus
) in only seven months.
Deciding that he would rather pursue a teaching career, Smith left industry and moved to the education sector, where he started Star Schools - the aim of these schools are to provide value for money education with top class teachers. During the next twenty-five years he became famous throughout South Africa, where his schools have taught almost a million pupils of all races. Smith also won the Teacher of the Year award.
In 1990, Smith began producing The Learning Channel educational television programmes with the financial backing of Hylton Appelbaum, then executive director of the Liberty Life Foundation. As a result of his work on this programme, Smith was voted as one of the top three presenters on South African television in 1998.
where he currently (2004) lives. He is also the owner of Rivercat Ferries, which has several craft that cruise in the Knysna lagoon and out to sea.
He is also a co-presenter, with Jeremy Mansfield
, of the popular South African television quiz show, A Word or 2, which now in its 10th season. Smith was also a judge for the Miss South Africa Pageant in 1998 and 1999.
The coelacanth
"living fossil" was discovered by Smith's father, Professor J.L.B. Smith, a renowned ichthyologist
.
Smith was voted 86th in the Top 100 Great South Africans
in 2004.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's best-known and most popular television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
science and mathematics teacher.
Early life and education
Smith was born in GrahamstownGrahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
and attended St. Andrew's Prep before matriculating at Union High School
Union High School
Union High School may refer to:*Union High School , Modoc, Indiana*Union High School , La Porte City, Iowa*Union High School , Grand Rapids, Michigan*Union High School , Union, Missouri...
in Graaff-Reinet. He then went on to study at Rhodes University
Rhodes University
Rhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province...
, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, followed by an honours degree (cum laude) in chemistry at the same institution. Following that, he obtained a masters degree from the University of Natal
University of Natal
The University of Natal was a university in Natal, and later KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, that is now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It was founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg, and expanded to include a campus in Durban in 1931. In 1947, the university...
(Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
) in only seven months.
Deciding that he would rather pursue a teaching career, Smith left industry and moved to the education sector, where he started Star Schools - the aim of these schools are to provide value for money education with top class teachers. During the next twenty-five years he became famous throughout South Africa, where his schools have taught almost a million pupils of all races. Smith also won the Teacher of the Year award.
In 1990, Smith began producing The Learning Channel educational television programmes with the financial backing of Hylton Appelbaum, then executive director of the Liberty Life Foundation. As a result of his work on this programme, Smith was voted as one of the top three presenters on South African television in 1998.
Other achievements
Smith is also a renowned conservationist and owns the Featherbed Nature Reserve in KnysnaKnysna
Knysna is a town with 76,431 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Garden Route. It lies 34 degrees south of the equator, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George on the N2 highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay on the same road.-History:A...
where he currently (2004) lives. He is also the owner of Rivercat Ferries, which has several craft that cruise in the Knysna lagoon and out to sea.
He is also a co-presenter, with Jeremy Mansfield
Jeremy Mansfield
Jeremy Mansfield is a South African radio and television personality. He has worked on numerous radio stations as presenter and voice-over artist, and has also presented numerous television shows, and inserts for some popular television magazine programmes....
, of the popular South African television quiz show, A Word or 2, which now in its 10th season. Smith was also a judge for the Miss South Africa Pageant in 1998 and 1999.
The coelacanth
Coelacanth
Coelacanths are members of an order of fish that includes the oldest living lineage of Sarcopterygii known to date....
"living fossil" was discovered by Smith's father, Professor J.L.B. Smith, a renowned ichthyologist
Ichthyology
Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This includes skeletal fish , cartilaginous fish , and jawless fish...
.
Smith was voted 86th in the Top 100 Great South Africans
SABC3's Great South Africans
Great South Africans was a South African television series that aired on SABC3 and hosted by Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu and Denis Beckett. In September 2004, thousands of South Africans took part in an informal nationwide poll to determine the "100 Greatest South Africans" of all time...
in 2004.