A severely under-resourced primary school in Chatsworth, Durban, has taken its place in the
technological age with a brand new fully-fitted 4IR Laboratory (or Centre for the Fourth Industrial
Revolution), valued at some R327 000 thanks to the intervention of the South African Muslim
Charitable Trust (SAMCT).
Addressing a recent event to mark the official hand-over of the new facility to Fairhaven Primary
School, SAMCT representative, Mr Gaf Osman, said: “This is a school with vision and a determination
– in spite of the financial constraints it faces – to provide quality education to its largely historically
disadvantaged learners. It is intent on readying them to take their rightful places in the technological
age in which we live and to ensure that they are able to cope with the technological advancements
which are now part and parcel of our lives.”
He stressed: “The fourth industrial revolution is upon us and is now integral to society’s
development into the future. Fairhaven Primary School recognises this and quite legitimately wants
to be a part of the development curve. Like it, however, many South African schools are so underresourced that the dream of providing learners access to information technology can be nothing
more than just that… a pipe-dream.”
“The sad reality is that such circumstances contrive to further stunt the growth and development of
already disadvantaged youngsters, negating the possibility of them actively participating in a
technology-driven world. Such a scenario is – to all right-thinking people – simply untenable. The
problem is that South Africa is beset by massive and seemingly insurmountable socio-economic
challenges. Not least of such challenges centre around education.”
Mr Osman said many South African schools were ‘infrastructurally unfit for purpose and are totally
under-resourced as regards the necessary equipment and tools to ensure an effective and relevant
education – especially pertaining to information technology education.’
“So massive is the problem that Government alone cannot deal with school upgrades and provision
of equipment. In spite of this and its own crippling financial constraints, Fairhaven Primary School’s
Principal and staff have remained undaunted and have shown admirable determination in terms of
finding a way to offer its learners computer studies, coding, robotics and 3-D printing courses on a
sustainable basis. The neglect of such an education was simply not an option for the school, which
realised that the ability to master information technology was becoming ever more critical to our
economy and global leadership, as well as to future innovation and research endeavours,” he added.
Learning of the school’s financial difficulties and its determination to find a way to equip its learners
with technological promise, the SAMCT was quick to become involved, providing the school with a
R327 000, fully-fitted 4IR Laboratory.
The SAMCT, 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, it has successfully delivered significant 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.
“In view of this, we believed it right and proper that the organisation intercede to create the facility
the school so desperately sought and – indeed – deserved. The new facility is now set to
complement the school’s other laudable digital endeavours, inclusive of an NGO-provided
introductory course in robotics, the expansion of the school curriculum to include Advanced
Mathematics and the use of a Problem-Solving booklet, developed by the school, to assist in the
implementation of the programme,” Mr Osman said.
He concluded, saying: “I wish Fairhaven Primary School every success in exposing its young and
enthusiastic learners to the wonderful and vital world of computers, robotics and coding. Your
determination to provide the tools and your commitment to the development of your learners will,
no doubt, stand them in good stead as they progress through high school and tertiary education.
Your digital educational endeavours now will afford them the prospect of taking their places in the
world of work; a work environment which will be still further digitally advanced than is presently the
case.”
For more information about SAMCT or its Fairhaven Primary School computer/robotics laboratory
donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za