Destroyed: A teacher attempting to salvage learning materials after the school was hit by floods.
STUDENTS at SK Canossian Convent in Segamat, Johor, can finally look forward to new canteen and classroom furniture to replace those destroyed by recent floods.
The school received RM35,830 from OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad on June 21 under the Financial Industry Collective Outreach (Finco) Disaster Relief Programme for the purchase of cupboards, tables, chairs, racks and benches to benefit its 168 students. The school, which was hit by floods in 2006 and 2011 and whose students are mainly from B40 families, was again badly hit by floods on March 1 this year, with floodwaters rising to over one metre.
Expressing her gratitude, SK Canossian Convent headmistress Mallar Selive Krishnasamy said the aid would go a long way in alleviating the constraints faced by the school to replace all the furniture and learning equipment that were destroyed during the floods earlier this year.
“This will ensure that our students have a comfortable environment to continue learning,” she said in a press release.
Finco chief executive officer Clare Walker said a safe and conducive learning environment is an integral part of access to education. Students’ surroundings, she added, can affect them subconsciously.
“We want to remove any distraction that might hamper their performance. Keeping schools and classrooms safe not only protects students physically, but also promotes positive learning and social behaviour,” she said.
Finco chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim said the financial industry plays an important role in ensuring young people have equal access to safe learning environments and quality education.
The industry, he added, is keen to support affected communities by providing disaster relief.
