Parents and teachers should work together to shape learners into independent minded and innovative people capable of positively responding to national aspirations, Acting President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane said September 22.
He was officiating at Orapa Junior Secondary School prize giving ceremony.
Mr Tsogwane said parents’ partnership with teachers would go a long way in ensuring that resources the government invested in the education of young people made good returns.
“Our efforts should be complementary and we should be determined to ensure that [learners] achieve success,” he said.
He said if parents inculcated a sense of purpose and responsibility in children earlier on in life, even before they started school, they would grow up to embrace education as a virtue.
Mr Tsogwane expressed hope that learners would embrace government’s efforts to prepare them for future roles, by studying hard to pass.
That however, was only possible if they embraced the values of Botho and discipline, which were clearly lacking is some schools, where parents and learners often intimidated teachers.
“We want good citizens for this country, and it all starts here,” he said.
Mr Tsogwane said investing in education was the best thing any country could do for its people, hence government’s investment in education. Botswana was recreating itself into a knowledge-based economy, which was inalienable to science, technology, innovation and creativity, he said, and urged all stakeholders to ensure the country succeeded in that regard.
The VP said the objective was to motivate all learners, regardless of their academic performance.
He encouraged those who did not perform well to apply the mind-set change strategy, and move forward.
He added the theme for the 2023 prize giving ceremony, “Mindset change, a key to fundamental success,” could not be more appropriate as the nation transitioned into a knowledge-based economy.
He commended Orapa Junior Secondary School for attaining fourth position out of more than 200 junior secondary schools in Botswana with a pass rate of 66.2%. The JCE results posted by the school last year and in the past years were testament of the hard work and zeal that parents, members of staff and learners expended, he said.
Orapa JSS school head, Ms Kolobetso Seabe, said while the school’s 2022 results were above the national target, they were not elated as a school.
They would therefore try to understand the reasons for lower-than-expected performance and institute remedial measures.
However, initial indications were that the boy-child’s performance was very low.
To that end the school had since taken steps to remedy the situation.
Duduetsang Selemogo beat all Form 3s; Neo Kgotlamotse topped all Form 2s while Angela Boshoff and Mimi Mpaphe shared position one for Form 1s.
They all received laptops [as prizes] for their excellent performance.
Bahumi Trading donated P20, 000 towards the event.