05 Jul 2015

In an effort to enhance academic and sporting excellence in public schools, World Bazaar wholesalers donated 120 trophies to Ministry of Education and Skills Development in Palapye on Saturday, July 4.

The trophies will remain property of schools distributed to.  Speaking during an event to hand over the trophies, Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Moiseraela Goya said the Adopt-A-School initiative was bearing fruit as a number of stakeholders had embraced it.

Ever since the advent of the initiative, Mr Goya said a number of stakeholders were coming up to support public schools.

Also, the assistant minister said they had developed a turnaround strategy, ‘Education and Training Strategic Sector Plan (ETSSP)’ known as strategy 2020 to restore a culture of excellence.

The five-year strategy, he said is a guiding tool to improve learning outcomes by strengthening capacities of teachers and school governance, improving the supply and provision of teaching and learning materials such as classrooms, duplicating machines, staff housing, sports and recreation facilities.

He said the ministry was doing everything to mobilise resources required for the implementation of the strategy, adding that community involvement was needed to implement the strategy.

Mr Goya stressed that the ministry wants to achieve the desired results, and that was anchored on stakeholder involvement. 

He regretted that education approach used over years was not done with consonance of what the market needs; mismatch of qualification and labour market.

Meanwhile, the assistant minister hailed the generosity of World Bazaar wholesalers saying it would shape a better future and challenged other stakeholders to help public schools and adopt them.

“They are some schools that still need help and I urge churches and individuals to adopt them.”

For his part, director of World Bazaar wholesalers, Dr Hameed Nuru said they chose the education sector because they wanted to nurture and encourage academic and sporting excellence in the public schools.

Dr Nuru stated that education was critical for Botswana to go forward and they want Botswana to be a better place.

World Bazaar wholesalers also donated blankets.  ENDS