Asherville School’s 4th Industrial Revolution Aspirations Realised Thanks to R600 000 SAMCT donation
For Immediate Release: 24 May 2022
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A R600 000 infrastructure upgrade and facilities make-over at an under-resourced and aging Asherville, Durban, secondary school has geared it to provide Information Technology as a subject, in keeping with the 4th Industrial Revolution and the 2030 vision of the Department of Education.
The South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT) made the funding available to upgrade the school’s computer laboratory, library, ablution facilities and windows. Speaking at a function to mark the official hand-over of the upgraded facilities, SAMCT representative, Mr Gaf Osman, said: “This is a school which opened in 1960 and has not benefitted from any major infrastructure changes over the years. The capital projects required to give effect to much-needed upgrades to its ailing infrastructure have simply proved beyond the financial means of a school whose staff display exceptional commitment to doing their level best for the learners in their charge, regardless of the really difficult conditions in which they operate.”
Ignoring the school’s shortcomings, the school’s teaching staff provide free intervention classes on weekdays, weekends and during school holidays for the benefit of learners attending the school.
“In addition, and in spite of the challenges it faces, the school has gone one step further in wanting to ensure that its learners may be exposed to a fully-functional library facility, while also looking to provide Information Technology as a subject, in keeping with the 4th Industrial Revolution – which is upon us – and, laudably, the 2030 vision of the Department of Education.”
“The intent is to be commended; the tragedy is that like so many schools in this country, under- resourcing and low levels of ability to pay school fees have placed a heavy financial burden on Centenary Secondary School,” said Mr Osman. He stressed that the financial constraints the school had been forced to face looked set to scuttle the realisation of the its ambition until the South African Muslim Charitable Trust heard of the school’s plight, plans and vision. “Acknowledging the vital need to ensure learners are exposed to both books and computers and recognising that decent infrastructure is vital to effective teaching and learning, the South African Muslim Charitable Trust was very keen to assist. By stepping into the breach, our R600 000 contribution has made a telling difference to the most concerning elements of infrastructure development, being the upgrade and = modernisation of the school’s doors and windows and the provision of a complete make-over of aged toilet facilities, as well as focusing on a major library upgrade. Crucially, too, our assistance in upgrading the computer laboratory has enabled the school to this year introduce Information Technology as a subject, a move which paves the way for Centenary Secondary School’s introduction in 2023 of Electrical Technology, CAT and the implementation of the third stream of education, in line with the Department of Education’s 2030 vision,” Mr Osman added.
Robotics and coding are set to become part of the school’s curriculum in 2023/24, so enabling its continued proud history of turning out distinguished scholars. This is the consequence of its ethos and culture of providing quality education for the learners it draws from greater Asherville, Overport, Sydenham, Springfield and surrounding areas. “Importantly, too, the local community has come to recognise Centenary Secondary School as an educational institution of choice, evidenced by its waiting list of learners seeking placement here. This is testimony to the commitment of the staff, the Principal’s information technology vision and management’s perseverance in working to achieve infrastructural upgrades designed to improve the school’s public image. This collective determination to rise above the challenges and overcome the
barriers it faces drew the attention of the South African Muslim Charitable Trust and prompted our organisation’s involvement in order to help bring these aspirations to fruition. We were delighted to
make available the R600 000 necessary to achieve upgrades which will go a long way towards positioning Centenary Secondary School at the forefront of education in the wider area. Mr Osman explained that the South African Muslim Charitable Trust, created in 2008, was specifically established to provide funding, services and other resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable, deprived and disadvantaged.
“In this regard, we have successfully delivered significant solutions throughout the country, irrespective of race or religion and work to support needy organisations in the fields of health, social
development, poverty alleviation and, of course, education,” he said. I take the opportunity to wish Centenary Secondary School every success in broadening its educational offering and to transforming the facility’s public image. I feel sure that with the assistance provided and the new facilities presented, the staff will be far better equipped to tap into the potential of all the learners here – now and in the future – affording them fantastic new technological opportunities so long denied by circumstance,” he said. ends
For more information about SAMCT or its Centenary Secondary School upgrades donation, please
contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za