23 Feb 2015

Orapa Junior Secondary School has been applauded for emerging the best in the country during the 2014 Junior Certificate Examination.

Speaking during the prize giving ceremony for teachers and non-teaching staff at Khama Rhino Sanctuary on Friday, February 20 acting permanent secretary from the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Mr Simon Coles commended them for a job well done.

Mr Coles said what Orapa JSS has done shows that indeed team work and professionalism pays. 

They maintained this sterling performance dating back from 2010, he added.The good performance, he said showed that despite their challenges they always made sure that they maintain the sense of togetherness and understood the purpose of being there.

He cited lack of funds as some of the challenges that hindered them from improving the infrastructure and increasing staff houses.  

However, he said this did not in any way hinder Orapa JSS from excelling.He said Orapa JSS staff did not put their challenges first but rather worked hard to make sure that those that they serve get the best of their time and even sacrificed their time to achieve desirable results.

Mr Coles encouraged them to work harder so that they continue to put Central Region on the map, and expressed hope that other schools and regions would benchmark on their achievement.

For his part, Orapa JSS headmaster, Mr Joshua Nkarabang said they strongly believe in goal setting, adding that they could have not made it had it not been their common goal.

Mr Nkarabang described success as a process which starts with planning, persuading, encouraging hard work and motivating people to work towards their desired results.

He said they had set their goals up and always made sure that they attained them, noting that their targets were set higher so that they strive to make them possible even when they did not seem possible.

He also noted that at Orapa JSS they could have not attained these results had it not been their team work spirit.

Mr Nkarabang said they held department meetings where each teacher had to account for his or her results, adding that this motivated staff to work harder and produce the desired outcome.

He also appreciated the support they got from the parents, who often responded positively to their PTA meetings, report collection and whenever they were called to the school to discuss children’ progress.

Mr Nkarabang also gave gratitude to Debswana mine through their corporate social responsibility programme, for supporting them in any endeavour they take as a school and also by providing them with English, Mathematics and Science specialists who helped the students.

However, he noted that despite all these achievements like any other government school in the country they have shortage of staff houses, dilapidated school, shortage of textbooks, lack of storage space and lack of furniture in the labs amongst others.

He said though this has not deterred their goal, they promised to keep up with the good work.In her words of encouragement, Central Region Education director, Ms Molebi Morolong applauded Orapa JSS for a job well done.

Ms Morolong said it was through their mutual understanding and team work that they continued to excel in the region and in the country as a whole.

She said excellence was not a skill but something propelled by having the right attitude. She applauded the teachers and the non-teaching staff for having the right attitude towards their work.

She noted that what they did was very commendable and should be celebrated, as they also put the central region on the map.The director advised teachers and other school staff not to lose focus as the future lies ahead and to continue with the good work, as their determination showed that indeed many could emulate them.  ENDS