Learners at a financially-challenged Port Shepstone school who have been denied excursions and
field trips because of the educational institution’s aging and troublesome bus are on the road again
with a new set of wheels, courtesy of the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT).
The Port Shepstone Islamic School transports its learners twice a day, as well as undertaking
extramural activities, but increasing demand on the old bus has severely limited such usage.
Commenting recently on its R1 036 000 funding of a new bus for the school, SAMCT representative,
Mr. Gaff Osman said: “Fundamental to a rounded education is the need to broaden the minds of
learners by taking them beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Field trips offer a wonderful and
creative means of furthering the knowledge of learners and is vital to their overall development.”
“Without the means to expose its learners to educational elements offered by the wider
environment learners at the Port Shepstone Islamic School faced significant disadvantages. Learning
of the school’s concern about shelving excursions because of transport issues, the SAMCT was
pleased to assist,” he added
Increasing numbers of learners at the school has put a massive strain on its only bus in recent times,
prompting an appeal for a new vehicle and re-implementation of educational trips for learners. The
appeal was launched as the school was unable to meet the required capital cost of a new bus.
This is a community school necessitating that its fees be pitched at an affordable level, whilst
meeting the challenge of achieving excellence through the employment of qualified staff and the
provision of sound infrastructure. Currently.
Accordingly, the school is unable to meet its full expenditure from fee income alone, given that 74%
of its learners receive full or partial subsidies.
“The school must look to outside sources of support to fill the financial gap and the SAMCT was
pleased to offer its assistance in filling the transport gap,” said Mr. Gaff Osman.
The SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al
Baraka Bank, for the creation, marketing, and distribution of a suite of Shariah Funds.
The organization provides funding, services, and other resources for the improvement of the lives of
the vulnerable, deprived, and disadvantaged. It has been singularly successful in delivering sizeable
assistance solutions throughout South Africa – irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work
to support needy organizations in the fields of healthcare, social development, poverty alleviation,
and education.
“We trust that the provision of a new school bus will now enable the school to fulfill its objective of
exposing its learners to the wider world as part of its overall educational offering for many years into
the future,” Mr. Gaff Osman concluded.