Do you know you can be arrested for pointing a toy gun? Or that planes run on paraffin and that it takes three swimming pools full of it to fly from Cape Town to London?
These were some of the fascinating facts Constantia Primary School pupils learned last week at a careers day.
About 130 children sat spellbound as SAA pilot Peter Haynes regaled them with tales of flying and travel. He might have travelled the world, but this down-to-earth pilot told the children that while he may be the captain of a plane his wife is boss at home.
Captain Keith Chandler and Sergeant Amanda Gordon from Diep River police station gave a theatrical display of arresting one of the children.
They then showed the children handcuffs, a baton and an unloaded service pistol.
Captain Chandler said new police recruits undergo six months of training and are then student officers for a year.
The children also learned about being a professional sportsperson. They were visited Danleigh Borman who graduated in 2007 and became a professional soccer player after getting a scholarship to play in America. He has played with the Red Bulls, Toronto FC and Supersport United as well as local Mpumalanga Black Aces and Vasco da Gama.
He is now semi-professional playing for iKapa. His dad, Daniel ‘Dot’ Borman, is principal of Constantia Primary and was also an ex professional soccer player.
Chrisabel Rooi, a Grade 6 teacher at the school, said they normally held careers days for their Grade 7 classes but decided to do it for the whole school this time.
She said the fire department had also agreed to be there but had cancelled because they were putting out the fire that started the previous night, Wednesday November 2, in a fishing trawler in Cape Town harbour.
If you would like to be part of the next careers day, contact the school at 021 794 6186.