A R500 000 Donation Of Two Classrooms Eases The Plight Of A Battling Kelvin, Johannesburg, School
A Kelvin, Johannesburg, educational institution battling against a severe classroom shortage in the face of rapidly growing levels of learner enrolments, recently received a boost with the donation of two mobile classrooms by the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT).
The Abdullah Bin Salaam Islamic Centre (ABSIC) in Kelvin, where some 65% of learners are unable to afford school fees, comprises just 17 classrooms, serving almost 300 learners from Grade R to Matric. The school serves learners from Kelvin and surrounds, as well as from areas such as Midrand, Mayfair and Orange Grove.
Rapidly growing learner intake and the need to separate boys and girls in the school’s higher grades has led to a classroom crisis, with the school being forced to divide a number of classrooms in two to accommodate the increased numbers of learners.
Learning about the school’s space problem, the SAMCT was quick to intercede, following its donation to the school of one mobile classroom in 2018 with an additional two classrooms, valued at R500 000.
Commenting on its classroom provision intercession, SAMCT representative, Mr Gaf Osman said: “Our young people have the right to a full and proper education. Sadly in South Africa the situation is such that this is, in many cases, denied because of problems associated with infrastructure, which is either lacking or in a state of disrepair. This unfortunate situation has a negative effect on both learners and teachers.”
He added: “Educators cannot teach effectively and learners cannot absorb what they are being taught in inadequate and over-crowded classroom facilities. Such a situation is grossly unfair on both teacher and learner, but is the norm at so many of our South African schools today.”
ABSIC, with its growing learner intake and attendant financial constraints is just such an educational institution
Recognising the importance of ensuring learners are afforded every opportunity to excel at school, the SAMCT moved to build upon its earlier classroom donation by providing a further two new rooms in an effort to ease learner over-crowding at ABSIC.
Created in 2008, the SAMCT provides funding, services and other resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable, deprived and disadvantaged. It has successfully delivered sizeable assistance solutions throughout the country, irrespective of race or religion and works to support needy organisations in the fields of health, social development, poverty alleviation and education.
Mr Gaf Osman said: “It is our hope that the three additional classrooms we have provided ABSIC since 2018 will make a telling difference to the school’s ability to provide a sound education to the learners it serves, given that this is an educational institution committed to providing the best education it can, in spite of its financial situation. Indeed, its commitment to its learners is mirrored in the fact that ABSIC has achieved a 100% pass rate for the past two years, in spite of its classroom shortage and resultant over-crowding problem. We believe that with the advent of more space, this school will grow from strength to strength.”
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For more information about SAMCT and its Ashraful Aid truck donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Email: samct@samct.co.za