23 Jul 2015

The objective of school-based boot camps for Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) learners is to develop core ethical and performance values on them.

Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Moiseraele Goya explained that the strategy entailed life skills education.

Mr Goya said such life skills education included self-awareness, entrepreneurship, career guidance, financial literacy and management, work ethics with emphasis on hard work and anti-corruption values.

“The underpinning tenets of the BGCSE school based boot camps is to promote the physical, social, intellectual, emotional, ethical, moral and spiritual development among our learners and help them to become responsible, caring and contributing members of their respective communities as well as productive citizens of Botswana,” the assistant minister said.

He said it was a deliberate strategy to develop core ethical and performance values that were widely affirmed across all cultures.

Mr Goya further stated that the cost per learner per day was estimated at P160 for three meals, while the cost per school including administrative costs would depend on the number of learners in each school. However, he said it was estimated at P100 per day per learner, thus totaling to P260 per learner per day per school.

He also said the aim of the boot camp was to ensure that all targeted learners participate.

Each senior secondary school, he said, has been mandated to consult parents through Parents-Teachers Associations (PTAs) and community leaders while the teachers and learners were to be consulted by the regional and school management.

“The majority of schools are excited about the initiative and welcome it as witnessed during the consultative meetings held in the regions.

The anticipated impact as inferred from the programme content resulted in the buy-in from the schools and the regions,” the assistant minister said.

He said the boot camp was budgeted for, but that the budget allocation was not adequate to accommodate total enrolment in each school.

Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse had asked the assistant minister to explain what the envisaged boot camp for BGCSE learners entail and what its objectives were.

Mr Keorapetse also requested the assistant minister to state the cost per learner, cost per school and general costs including administrative costs of the boot camp, and whether it was compulsory. Ends