In a bid to create a conducive learning environm ent for students of Andrews Primary School in Nadi the New India Assurance Company donated $20,000 to the school.

The donation was followed by the ground-breaking ceremony of a proposed new classroom by the chief guest, New India Assurance Company manager Lautoka Branch, Devendra Prakash Saxena.

Mr Saxena said the sponsorship was a sign of the partnership that was created when their company chairman, Gopalan Srinivasan, had visited the school earlier this year in May.

“We always believe whatever we earn we should share with the society and for that very purpose we have assembled here,” he said.

“During our chairman’s last visit a request was made for assistance for a new Urdu classroom; our chairman gladly accepted and immediately assured the school of the financial assistance.”

The classroom is expected to cater for more than 100 hundred students who take Urdu classes in three sessions; the first session is for students in Year Three; the second is for Years 4-6 while the third session is for Years 7-8.

School head teacher Anasa Vateitei said the need for a new classroom arose after it was highlighted during a board meeting that the present classroom being used by students was congested.

“Due to the increase in number of our Muslim students, the demand for Urdu curriculum has increased; in the past Urdu students have been using the basement storeroom near the canteen,”he said.

He said the timeline for the project was about seven weeks and the total cost was $33,800.

“We have managed to raise about $12,800 while the $20,000 was provided by the New India Assurance Company.”

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