SINGAPORE - Needy school-going children from 10 primary schools will now be able to get extra help with miscellaneous school-related expenses, through a new student fund introduced by telecommunications firm M1 on Tuesday.
M1 will donate $200,000 each year towards the inaugural M1 Students Support Fund, which will complement existing financial assistance schemes offered by the schools and the Ministry of Education. M1 will provide the funding for at least two years.
The schools - picked by the ministry based on the profile of their students - will have the flexibility of deciding how the funds can be best used to assist their pupils.
"We hope that this fund will help our beneficiaries have a more enjoyable school life and better opportunities to develop their full potential," said M1 corporate communications director Ivan Lim, adding that the fund is an extension of M1's efforts in supporting Singapore's underprivileged children and youth.
The 10 schools are Angsana Primary School, Blangah Rise Primary School, Boon Lay Garden Primary School, Dazhong Primary School, East View Primary School, MacPherson Primary School, Marsiling Primary School, New Town Primary School, Si Ling Primary School and Xinghua Primary School.
"With the extra funds, we will be able to enrich the learning experiences of our less advantaged students," said Mrs Chandrika Mano, principal of Xinghua Primary School. "We can use some of the funds to purchase additional reading materials for the pupils. This will ensure that the students have ready access to interesting and age-appropriate reading materials both at home and in school to help them develop the habit of reading, which in turn will improve their literacy skills."
