(Standing, from sixth left) Selangor Education Department student talent development sector (co-curriculum) deputy director Khairul Anwar Abdul Azid, SMK Seri Selayang administration and academics senior assistant Azhar Kamaruddin, Lum, Norzalina and Gombak District Education Office (student talent development unit) district deputy education officer Nurfaeeza Osman with SMK Seri Selayang teachers and students.
TO IMPROVE the lives of underprivileged children, Touch ‘n Go Sdn Bhd (Touch ‘n Go) has adopted its first school to make a positive impact through education.
The company teamed up with non-profit Pintar Foundation to ensure the success of this pioneer outreach.
The foundation, which is partially supported by Education Ministry, has been improving the lives of rural and urban poor children since 2008.
SMK Seri Selayang in Gombak, Selangor, is among the beneficiaries of the programme.
Students are taught how to use Mathematics in business and financial literacy, as well as their personal and professional growth.
These largely underserved, B40 students will be under the wings of Touch ‘n Go.
Touch ‘n Go chief corporate development officer Lum Joy Deng said the company aimed to extend its outreach beyond its operating location in Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur.
SMK Seri Selayang, she said, was the starting point.
“We are excited to collaborate with Pintar Foundation to ignite the students’ interest in education by making learning more relevant to their everyday lives.
“We believe that by equipping students with skills beyond the conventional curriculum, we can help promote non-academic excellence and motivate them to pursue their dreams,” said Lum.
“These students are the future of our society and for them to thrive, we should invest our support for their future,” she said.
In the programme’s first year, students will attend an “Entrepreneurship for Teens” bootcamp and financial literacy workshops.
Targeted to cater to about 100 students per bootcamp or workshop, the Pintar Foundation modules will introduce business skills, encourage a growth mindset and critical thinking, and inspire teens to take an active interest in their educational journeys.
Pintar Foundation general manager Norzalina Masom said, “We are honoured to partner with Touch ‘n Go to provide the SMK Seri Selayang students with the knowledge, tools and support they need to excel both in and out of the classroom.
“Our shared vision is to create a nurturing environment where every student feels valued and empowered to achieve their full potential,” she said.
SMK Seri Selayang provides mainstream education up to Form 5 and an Integrated Special Education Programme (PPKI) for special needs students.
There are currently 13 PPKI classes with basic training facilities for agriculture, bread- making and pastry.
The school also has an upper secondary vocational programme in Fashion Sewing Design for mainstream students.
With 102 teachers and 1,711 students, the school stands to benefit from Touch ‘n Go’s sustainability pillar of “Treating People Fairly”.
For more details, visit www.touchngo.com.my
