Under-resourced Durban school receives IT equipment and library books, together valued at R235 000, broadening learners’ informational horizons, thanks to a South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT) donation
For Immediate Release: 23 July 2018
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The informational horizons of learners at an under-resourced Durban secondary school will be considerably broadened following the provision of computer equipment and library books valued at R235 000.
With class sizes averaging 40, Parkhill Secondary School, situated in the Greenwood Park suburb of Durban and serving learners from as far away as Inanda and Umlazi, has long fought a losing battle to make its extremely limited computer and 50-book library facilities accessible to learners for whom such resources are unavailable at home in the quest to equip youngsters to compete in the global market.
This is set to change, the result of a donation of computer and projector equipment, together with a substantial addition to the school’s library, by the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT).
Commenting during the official hand-over of the equipment and books, SAMCT Trustee, Mr Chohan said: ” There can be no escaping the fact that Information Technology is the way of the future. We must fully embrace it, or risk our young people being left behind, while their counterparts across the world accept, adopt and work with ever-evolving technological advancements. Computer literacy and access to the wealth of information available on the Internet – especially for those for whom this is not an option at home – is now a vital part of the educational system.”
He added that books – both reading and reference – are, and will remain, vital to all facets of learning.
“Information technology and the printed word go hand-in-glove in assisting to improve the academic performance of individual learners and, ultimately, enhance and enrich the quality of their lives, to the benefit of their families, communities and, indeed, South Africa. If our present and future learners are to be equipped to compete effectively in the global market of tomorrow, they need an appropriate educational grounding today, inclusive of access to both the world of information available on the Internet and in the pages of reference and reading books,” Mr Chohan stressed.
The introduction of donated IT equipment into the school’s computer room, as well as computers and projectors into classrooms, was seen as a major step towards transforming these facilities into integrated one-to-one, anywhere, anytime learning environments, as is increasingly the norm worldwide.
The SAMCT was created 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 Chohan said of the SAMCT’s substantial donation: “We are very pleased to be in a position to assist in broadening the horizons of learners here through the donation of 30 computers, as well as a number of projectors and screens, together worth R185 000, and library books valued at a further
R50 000. Enhancing the school’s ability to deliver an excellent and relevant education to its learners, present and future, will prove invaluable as they progress through to the business world. We trust that the learners in the school’s care will embrace these tools in the furtherance of their education.”
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For more information about SAMCT or its Parkhill Secondary School IT and library books donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Co-ordinator Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za