04 May 2015

Lepashe Primary School scooped position one in the 2014 Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) results outclassing over 15 schools in the Tutume west region with a 100 per cent pass rate.

Speaking at the school’s victory celebration organised for the class of 2014 in Lepashe recently, the school head, Ms Itani Magimba said the group had been outstanding throughout the years they had spent at the school.

In 2011, she said the class was doing Standard Four when they scooped position one in the attainment tests, and, at the time the students were encouraged and motivated to continue with the good work until the end of their primary schooling.

Because of distance from services, and without things which could help in the learners’ performance and school work, teachers often relied on schools in the cluster which have electricity to get copies of revision and test papers for their students, she explained. Sometimes they were forced to use their own resources as teachers to prepare for their learners as an indication of their determination to produce best results, she added.

Meanwhile, a Tati Nickel Mine official, Mr Thebe Phirinyane said schools performance across the country had been worrisome as students failed their examinations, possibly due to the shortage of resources, lack of parental support and guidance, as well as bad behaviour and lack of interest in school by students.

However, he said it was encouraging that, faced with such challenges, and located far away from services, with no proper roads to reach to service centers, Lepashe Primary School managed to achieve a 100 per cent pass.

“Obviously this achievement came as a result of teachers’ commitment to work and support from the village leadership and parents,” he said, adding that the success and sustainability of education was based on cooperation, communication, commitment and collegiality of all partners in education.

He therefore urged all stakeholders to support the ministry of Education and Skills Development in achieving the Vision 2016 pillar of ‘an educated and informed nation’, noting that it was a commitment which all Batswana should align themselves with if they wanted results. Ends