02 Jul 2014

Moiyabana Primary School has been hailed for undertaking the initiatives that are geared to improve the academic performance.

Officially launching the reading challenge project and student representative council (SRC) recently, principal education officer for Serowe region, Ms Lerato Ntekola, applauded the staff for establishing the reading challenge project and SRC.

Ms Ntekola said both initiatives would improve the academic performance of the school and maintain discipline.

She said Reading Challenge Project initiative was piloted in some schools around Botswana, including in the Central District but Moiyabana primary school was not selected as one of the piloting school.

However, through teacher interest, commitment and dedication, they started the project at their own accord looking at its great benefit.

Concerning the SRC, Ms Ntekola said the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, after careful analysis of performance in schools, decided to hold a pitso in order to improve the results.

Among other resolutions at the pitso, she said, schools have to have support structures such as Parents and Teachers Associations, mentors, Adopt a School initiative and establish student representative councils.

The Headteacher, Ms Caroline Tsopane, said her school had been underperforming for many years; and its pass rate was 61 per cent in 2009, 38 per cent in 2010, 26 per cent in 2011, and 50 per cent in 2012.

She attributed the 73 per cent pass rate in 2013 to the establishment of the student representative council.

Ms Tsopane said another benefit of the student representative council was a decline in cases of indiscipline. 

The objective of establishing a student representative council was to promote behaviour among learners, strengthen teacher-parent-learners relationship and positive behaviour towards leaners’ education.

She promised all stakeholders that the staff intended to turn Moiyabana Primary School around and make it a school of excellence. Ends