The South African Muslim Charitable Trust injects computer equipment worth R350 000 into a seriously disadvantaged Mitchells Plain School
For Immediate Release: 18th June 2018
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Teacher and learner computer literacy in South African schools may be compared with maths and science with regard to its value to the future of today’s learners.
This was the emphatic message delivered by Mr Faried Boltman, a Trustee of the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT), at the recent hand-over of technology equipment, valued at R350 000, to Oval North Secondary School, at Mitchells Plain, Cape Town recently.
“This vital computer equipment will make a world of difference to the development of teachers and academic growth of learners here. The introduction of technology into South African schools is vitally important, becoming a critical component of the curriculum and, especially, the teaching process,” he said.
Mr Boltman added: “Regrettably, many South African schools simply lack access to technology, in spite of the fact that with the rapid advances which characterise the global IT industry, the norm now is for entire classrooms to be transformed into one-to-one, anywhere, anytime learning environments. e-Learning is a reality and those schools lacking access to technology are tragically becoming mired in an operational past no longer relevant to the needs of business and society.”
Oval North Secondary School, a seriously under-resourced school located in an area fraught with social problems, has an impressively proactive approach to educational needs. With an engineering focus, this educational institution recognises the importance of technology and is determinedly planning for e-Learning, in its quest to keep abreast of educational facilities in first-world countries, in spite of its location and difficult financial circumstances.
“The school delivers exceptional results in the face of the daunting challenges it faces. This is a credit to the dedication and determination of the school’s Principal and teaching staff, as well as the attitude and resolve of its learners to challenge and rise above adversity. It is against this background that the SAMCT is pleased to donate IT equipment to the value of R350 000 to facilitate technology development here. We believe access to equipment which makes e-Learning possible here means a technologically-advanced future for the school’s learners,” Mr Boltman stressed.
The SAMCT was established in 2008 to provide funding, services and other resources for improving 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 Boltman stressed: “If present and future learners are not to be left floundering in the backwaters, a major shift in accessing technology for educational purposes is now a South African imperative.”
“We must accept that e-Learning in classrooms is here and if schools don’t react, the business sector will find future business owners and their employees unable to compete effectively in the global environment. We are, therefore, delighted to be in a position to assist Oval North Secondary School
with the provision of computer equipment and trust that this will enable the improved preparation of learners for the wondrous ways of information technology.”
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For more information about SAMCT or its Oval North Secondary School IT equipment donation, please contact: Rasheeda Motala: Social Responsibility Co-ordinator – Tel: 084 506 2280.