18 May 2014

Francistown West MP, Dr Habaudi Hobona has appealed to residents of Phase VI in Monarch to take part in their children’s education.

Addressing a kgotla meeting recently, Dr Hobona told residents that teachers had complained that parents were not interested in their children’s education.

“The teachers told me that you never attend Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meetings and refuse to honour invitations to come and meet with teachers to discuss your children’s performance and behaviour,” said Dr Hobona.

She said the lack of parents’ participation in their children’s education could contribute to poor academic performance and delinquency. She also informed her constituents that government intended to introduce pre-school education at primary level to prepare children for Standard one.

She said the project would start in some primary schools while others would be delayed because of logistics challenges. Dr Hobona also urged parents to encourage their children to collect their certificates within two years after completing their education.

“After two years the certificates can only be collected in Gaborone at the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC),” she said. On other issues, she informed residents that she was following up the issue of the houses that allegedly cracked as a result of the blasting that was going on at a nearby quarry. She said she was trying to resolve their complaints about the dust that emanated from the Panda road.

Dr Hobona also informed her constituents about the Marriage Property Bill, explaining that it was meant to make it easier for married couples to change their status from community of property to out of community and vice versa without having to go through divorce.

For his part, Mr Batshegi Kgari, the chairperson of the ward development committee, complained about lack of street lights in Phase IV.  He also said there were no shops in the area and urged the council to resolve issues about commercial plots quickly. One of the residents, Ms Fidzani Majeremane, said the introduction of subject specialisation in primary schools left pupils with a lot of work.

“Sometimes pupils are given homework on all subjects and expected to submit all of it the next day. That’s not fair as it puts too much pressure on the children,” she said. ENDS