16 Jul 2014

It is important to be innovative, tap into the current knowledge systems and improve it to enhance the education system.

The chairperson of the board of the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC), Dr Joseph Tsonope, said at the excellence awards that Botswana had a strong traditional intellectual knowledge system that separated it from others.

“We can draw from these cultures, be creative and innovative in order to improve our education system,” he said.

Dr Tsonope cited an example of the mathematics of ditaola, divine bones, which he said had patterns such as the double helix of DNA and represented a complex counting system that could be used to innovate the education system.

He also gave example of the traditional herbs which adorned Botswana such as the sickle bush, shepherd tree, silver cluster and the dolomite whose use could be looked deep into in order to propel the current type of education.

He said it was important to learn from the world’s best performing schools that took the teaching profession as the backbone of the education system.

“It is very important to get the right people to become teachers, develop them into effective instructors and ensure that the system is able to deliver the best possible instruction for every child,” he said.

About the awards, Dr Tsonope said they addressed the need to recognise and propel citizens towards excellence. He said the awards were also an assistance to avoid complacency and being content with mediocrity but rather to propel all towards achievement.

For his part, BEC chief executive officer, Prof. Brian Mokopakgosi, thanked President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama for gracing the awards ever since their inception in 2010 as well as sponsoring the Golden Presidential Awards.

He appreciated President Khama for his support and the keen interest in the work that BEC did. Prof. Mokopakgosi said with the support and exceptional performance of the students, Botswana might become a knowledge-based society. ENDS