Chairwoman of the Educor Education Foundation, Mrs F. Chetty, and the principal of Inanda Newton Secondary, Mr T.C. Chauca, together with pupils at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The ‘new’ lab was launched in the presence of teachers, governing body members and hundreds of parents at the school on Sunday, 6 August 2017. The refurbishment included a fresh coat of paint, sanded down and varnished desks, smoothly cemented flooring, new desks and chairs. Educor also assisted with the removal of hazardous chemicals, where chemicals used in experiments could not be discarded safely, due to lack of funds at the school.
The ‘no-fee-paying' school was the proud beneficiary of the sponsorship following a needs analysis conducted on disadvantaged schools within the Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and Kwamashu (PINK) area. The Educor Education Foundation was established earlier this year to assist disadvantaged schools with library and science lab facilities and has committed to assisting schools in communities where its campuses and sites are located.
The Science Lab before
The Science Lab after
Chairlady of the Foundation Mrs F. Chetty said that when she first visited the school, she could not believe her eyes. The room was in an extremely bad state and needed immediate attention to get the pupils to start working on experiments and projects. She said, “At the start of the identification process we visited Inanda Newtown Comprehensive Secondary and were shocked at the neglect and lack of basic facilities. The state of floors in the science lab in particular was so heartbreaking. We immediately knew that they were going to be one of the first schools we assist. I am extremely proud of the outcome and look forward to further assisting the school and its pupils.”
In the opening address to the parents at the science lab launch, principal of the school Mr T. Chauca said that last year they had an 81% matric pass rate and they anticipate a much higher one this year. He said, “With the addition of the new science lab we are extremely confident that our pupils are going to excel. Physics is an especially difficult course and pupils tend to struggle with marrying the theory and practical work. The revamped lab will allow for sufficient space for pupils to team up and work together.”
Chairwoman of the Educor Education Foundation, Mrs F. Chetty, with the principal of Inanda Newton Secondary, Mr T.C. Chauca, together with pupils at the science lab.
Group Head of Communications of Educor Jessie Naidoo said in her keynote address at the launch, “We are here today to celebrate the opening of this new science lab, which is a momentous milestone for the school – and to ask you as parents to help us to take care of it and other facilities in this school. This represents the current and future education of your children. Encourage your children to listen to their teachers, do their homework, work hard, protect their facilities and resources in this school, and never give up. That is what Educor stands for. That hope, that every child will one day have an opportunity to study after school, build a career and change their lives.”
Deputy Principal Mr S.I. Sithole showed parents the images of the laboratories before and after the renovations. Parents ‘wowed’ and screamed in surprise, clapping their hands loudly in appreciation of the generous gift from Educor.
Mr Sithole said, “I am speechless. The new science labs are going to make a huge difference in our pupil’s academic performance. They have always wanted to be able to work in a proper lab as they envision themselves as future scientists and biologists and this truly brings their dreams to life. Both the school management, governing body, parents and pupils are extremely grateful to Educor for this tremendous contribution.”
Group Head of Communication at Educor Jessie Naidoo addressing the parents.
This project was one of two schools that the Foundation has identified. The second school is Nhlanhlayethu Secondary in Kwamashu, where work has already commenced. Look out for updates and images of the progress made on the Foundation's projects by liking the Educor Holdings page, @EducorHoldingsPTY or visit www.educor.co.za.
Educor Holdings has ten brands under its stable, including Damelin, ICESA, CityVarsity, Central Technical College, INTEC College, Lyceum, Dermatech, Damelin Correspondance College, CityVarsity Online and Damelin Online.
