ASPEN DONATES 600 TABLET DEVICES TO UP

THE UNIVERSITY of Pretoria (UP) said yesterday that its health sciences faculty had received a donation of 600 tablet devices worth R2.4 million from pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare to facilitate access to online resources for students from poor backgrounds. South African schools and universities have been closed since midMarch in an effort to avoid the spread of Covid-19 among students and staff, and remain so even after the government relaxed the rules of a nationwide lockdown on May 1. Many institutions have adopted online learning, including virtual classes. UP said the donation would ensure that students had access to their course material, enabling them to complete the 2020 academic year “so that no student is disadvantaged”. To qualify for the tablets, students must be registered with the UP, attend classes regularly and provide evidence of being unable to purchase the devices themselves. “The Covid-19 crisis has created a world of sadness, but it has also allowed the kindness and generosity of the world to shine,” said UP chairperson of the school of medicine, Professor Robin Green. | African News Agency (ANA)