Malefo Secondary School in Tweelagte outside Rustenburg became the first school in the North West to receive a state-of-the-art science laboratory. There was jubilation, excitement and joy at the official handover function which was attended by community members, parents, local Councillors and management of Conlog.

SA's quality of maths and science education once again failed to impress, as the country was ranked last among 140 economies on the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index . With this uppermost in their mind, Conlog (Pty) Ltd, a 50 year old Durban-based Company which is the world’s leading metering solutions provider to utilities and municipalities  are determined to change this through providing learners with the best possible resources and ultimately improve Science results” said Sibusiso Skosana Commercial Director at Conlog.

Under the management of Conlog’s Socio Economic (SED) committee an amount of R 406 000.00 was provided to fund this project. ”A good education is founded on the premise that the environment be conducive to the practice of learning. It should be able to make available to learners the infrastructure, facilities and resources necessary for learning. Sadly, in South Africa the legacy of our past does not always render this basic fundamental a reality. All too often we find that our country's schools - especially those serving the historically disadvantaged or today's lower income groups - do not measure-up. Many fall short in terms of both infrastructure and the provision of the tools necessary to give effect to efficient teaching and effective learning and we hope that our contribution is a small step to making an improvement” added Skosana.

“We hope that this science laboratory will help to improve the performance of learners in Science subjects at our local schools. This will enable them to go on to university and ultimately begin careers in engineering and scientific fields which will contribute to a vibrant economy.” It is clear that by providing essential equipment in classrooms we can boost academic performance at schools. Corporate South Africa has a critical role to play in this process and we are proud that Conlog has chosen Malefo Secondary School to be a part of this initiative” said Pauline Mokhutle, Acting chief director in the North West department of education in Bojanala district.

According to Mr Louis Taylor, Director of Partnerships in education, “the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is highly appreciative of the contributions made by business in order to improve the quality of education in less privileged communities. The DBE welcomes this initiative by  Conlog and we will ensure that the Science Laboratory donated by Conlog will be optimized by Malefo Secondary.

The project was coordinated and managed by Ahmed Motala of the New Africa Education Foundation, an NPO that has partnered with Conlog to roll out other projects at previously disadvantaged schools.