03 Mar 2015

Ministry of Education and Skills Development is striving to achieve academic growth and excellence at all levels, chief education officer for Teacher Training and Development, Ms Baipidi Kgabi has said on Monday, March 1.

Speaking during a workshop on English literacy material development for standard two teachers at Tlokweng Education Centre, she said it was the duty and responsibility of the government to ensure that all children acquire quality education as basic human rights.

“We are all gathered here as citizens to share commitments to laying a firm foundation in our education by ensuring that our children acquire the best at the early stages of their learning,” she added. Further, Ms Kgabi noted that literacy skills are the underlining foundation for developing a broad set of study skills, encouraging self-directed learning and engaging learners in a meaningful independent work across the curriculum.

“It is clear that literacy needs to be promoted across the curriculum to maximise performance in English as well as all other subject areas,” she added.

The workshop, she added was designed to provide a platform for sharing and disseminating information, sharing best practices on learning and teaching, sensitising heads of department on their roles and empowering them effectively to manage infants.

Another speaker, Mr Norman Sebonego of the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC) said they have identified sectors which have the potential to turn around the fortune of the country.

Mr Sebonego said HRDC has identified that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has a huge potential to play in the country’s economy including in the education sector.

Nonetheless, she added that HRDC has identified that there was a huge mismatch between what tertiary graduates offer and what the industry expects.

Further, he added that ICT sector was one sector with the highest numbers of unemployed graduates.
In addition, Mr Sebonego added that education has evolved over the period of time with the introduction of technology in classrooms and added that the country was also moving away from the traditional teaching methods to reap from the ICT opportunities.

The five-day workshop which ends on Thursday was attended by 115 standard two teachers. ENDS