A total of nine students of Grades 10 to 13, who are beneficiaries of the Social Register of Mauritius (SRM), received, this morning, tablets to be used for educational purposes, during a ceremony held at the seat of the National Empowerment Foundation (NEF) in Port-Louis.
This initiative is a joint collaboration of the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, and the NEF. The Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, was the chief guest.
In a statement after the ceremony, Minister Jeewa-Daureeawoo underlined that as at date some 524 students are listed as beneficiaries of the SRM and recalled that it is a dynamic list that keeps evolving on a regular basis.
This initiative, she pointed out, was undertaken during the Covid-19 lockdown to ensure the continuous learning of students at home. She further stated that her Ministry is determined to provide not only financial help to these families, but also provide their children with the necessary support for their schooling. The aim, she said, is to ensure that the family benefits from the necessary assistance to become self-reliant and independent.
Furthermore, Minister Jeewa-Daureeawoo pointed out that her Ministry has ensured that SRM beneficiaries are provided with free access to Broadband Internet. Some 5 000 beneficiaries are already benefiting from this measure, she indicated.
As for the Chief Executive Officer of the NEF, Mr Jean François Chaumière, he underlined that a total of 542 students will receive each a tablet under this governmental initiative. Given the new learning arrangements being done in the current COVID-19 situation, the tablet will be handy for these students to follow online classes and get access to materials offered by the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, he emphasised.
