Friday, June 7, 2019 7:01PM IST (1:31PM GMT Bangalore, Karnataka, India:
ANZ, one of world’s largest multi-national banks, and Embassy Office Parks, India’s first and only listed REIT, have come together to support primary education among local communities in the vicinity of their workplaces. ANZ occupies 300,000 sq. ft. of leased office space in Embassy Manyata Business Park in Bangalore. The two entities along with the Government of Karnataka Education Department have built a state-of-the-art primary school building for 650+ pupils at Hegdenagar, Bangalore. The new building was inaugurated today in the presence of the Shri. S. R. Umashankar, Principal Secretary to Primary & Secondary Education, Government of Karnataka and senior officials from ANZ and Embassy Office Parks.
The Government of Karnataka Education Department, ANZ and Embassy Group have partnered to create a spacious and well-equipped building to meet the needs of 650+ students. The building was constructed in a record time of 10 months with an investment of INR 2.86 crore (~ 600,000 Australian dollar). It houses 15 classrooms, a multipurpose hall, library, computer lab, well-maintained toilet blocks and accessibility facility for differently abled students.
Speaking at the inauguration Shri. S. R. Umashankar, the Principal Secretary to Primary and Secondary Education said, “We are excited to announce that this school has been selected to offer English Medium mode of instruction. The new facilities and infrastructure will complement this and allow these students to reach for their true potential. This endeavour of Embassy Group and ANZ through their community outreach program in mobilizing CSR funds, and their zeal in strengthening the primary education system is laudable. I hope they carry the torch and lead other corporates in providing facilities to the needy children.”
Pleased with the collaboration, Pankajam Sridevi, ANZ Group GM Operations & Services added, “We are thrilled to partner with Embassy Office Parks to bring to life this important education infrastructure project which will have a long-standing positive impact in the community. School is a child’s second home, serving several purposes in their lives and it shapes not only their future but the future of our country. I hope that the children have fun, learn and get an opportunity to identify and showcase their talent.”
Embassy Office Parks focuses on bridging gaps for underprivileged children by harnessing support from the corporate tenants. Through the ‘Embassy Office Park Corporate Connect Program’, the company and its corporate partners have collaborated and contributed in building and maintaining over 23 full-fledged government schools in Bangalore. The combination of well-equipped infrastructure and educational solutions helps empower government school students to gain the skills they need for future employability and success.
Speaking about the project, Mike Holland, CEO of Embassy Office Parks, said “In ANZ, we have a great partner for this project. Both Embassy and ANZ have common and aligned social responsibility focus towards providing education to the under-served communities. We were pleased with the success of the first project here in Hegdenagar government school which will now deliver English medium of education to hundreds of students. We will commence construction for another school building adjacent to this which can further accommodate 600 students. We expect this to boost attendance and create a safe and inviting environment for learning. We are thankful to our corporate tenants who continue to be supportive of our initiatives in reducing the socio-economic gaps in the society.”
Students at Government Higher Primary School Hegdenagar will continue to benefit from the educational programs run by Embassy group and its NGO partner Colours of Life. Embassy-led collaborations also provide comprehensive health screenings, treatment and awareness sessions to students. Apart from the infrastructure; the students get access to math through computers, mid-day meals, counselling, educational trips, life skills training and scholarship for further education.
S V, Venkataraman, Managing Director – ANZ Bengaluru Service Centre added “Through our approach to community investments, ANZ connects with, and invests significantly in the communities in which we operate. We were keen to play our part in supporting the construction of this new school building as it aligns strongly with our purpose – to shape a world where people and communities thrive.”
