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Archive - Archive 2004 - July 2013

Schools set to gain from Indian society |06 June 2012

Schools set to gain from Indian society

He was speaking after signing a memorandum of understanding with Port Glaud primary school where the association will support projects worth R250,000 .

“We will stay on with the school supporting its projects for at least one year, and until the school is comfortable its agreed goals have been realised, then move on to another school,” he said, adding R250,000 is the minimum amount the organisation will spend on a school per year.

“The amount could even rise to R500,000 depending on a school’s needs,” he said, adding the initiative is a private sector/government partnership.

Mr Patel on Friday signed the agreement with headteacher Shirley Hoareau and principal secretary for education Merida Delcy at Port Glaud when a delegation led by Education Minister Macsuzy Mondon visited the school as part of activities to mark Children’s Day.

Ms Hoareau addressing guests and thanking members of the association

Ms Hoareau later told Nation she welcomed the support, adding it will help her realise many of the goals she has set for the school she joined as the head last year.

“We have already identified the items we need for our first programme – which involves setting up a reading centre at the school,” she told Nation.

“We want to have a place where children can go at leisure, read a book or watch a documentary film, for example at break or lunchtime … whenever they are free.”

She said the association has already funded books worth R15,000 from a list the school made and a television set is the next item to be bought, all of which will be placed in an existing room that will be adapted for the purpose.

“I felt the pupils needed something to occupy them and to encourage them to concentrate on reading, in which the children were not doing very well.

“They were used to the library so we wanted something more attractive without tables and chairs but rather mats and cushions where they can read at their own pace instead, in a more relaxed atmosphere,” she said, welcoming parents to be involved in the project by joining the children at break time or after school.

“They can sit in that room with their kids and help them read.”

She said many of the pupils also tend not to be keen to eat so the school is planning to improve on the dining rooms to make them more attractive “for example with coloured plates and mural paintings as well to give them a restaurant environment feel”.

Port Glaud school has 264 pupils, 25 teachers and 13 other staff members.
Mr Patel said they chose it because it is a bit far from town, and decided to support schools “because education is the basis for everything”.

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