Durban: Greenbury Secondary School is one of the first high schools in Phoenix to benefit from 123NET's free fibre programme.
The digital company launched the programme in February as part of its social responsibility programme. The company aims to provide free fibre to government clinics, schools, libraries, hospitals and non-profit and religious organisations in the area.
It had already rolled out free fibre to Siphosethu and Natest primary schools in Phoenix and the Shri Mariammen Temple Society in Mount Edgecombe.
Angel Minev, the operational manager of 123NET, said apart from providing free fibre to schools, they also also created about 130 new jobs.
“We have employed technical and administrative staff as well as civil workers from Phoenix and surrounding areas. Now we want to provide a platform for learning that is easily accessible to children,” said Minev.
Sudesh Rampersadh Panday, the acting principal as Greenbury Secondary, said access to fibre would help them achieve better academic results.
“We are a flagship school in the Pinetown district. In matric, our pupils are among the high achievers in the province. The area we are situated in is indigent. Some of our pupils come from backgrounds where drugs, abuse and broken families are rife. By helping the school, the company is helping the community,” he said.
Panday said having access to fibre would also help teachers.
“With Covid-19, meetings and the teacher development courses offered by the Department of Education was being done online. Since we did not have access to the internet, the teachers had to leave school and sit at a restaurant that has free wi-fi to be part of the meetings and courses.”
He said it was also going to change the way they taught.
“Now, instead of showing pupils a one-dimensional picture of a heart from a textbook, we can show them every angle at a click of a button. It is going to make the class more exciting.”
Kantha Dharmalingam, the acting head of the school governing body at Greenbury, said: “We are excited to see what the next term holds for our learners and teachers. Through this programme, we will be able to equip our children with the digital experience they need in the working world.”
Seelan Achary, the ANC chairperson for ward 48, helped facilitate the programme.
“The fibre is going to enhance learning at our schools. It is going to allow our children to become more digital-savvy. It is a great investment in their education,” said Achary.
The company is currently working on providing free wi-fi to Phoenix Technical School.
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