18 Oct 2015

The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Moiseraela Goya says the European Union (EU) has pledged to electrify all primary schools across the country.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Hukuntsi in the Kgalgadi District on Friday (October 16), Mr Goya stated that his ministry and the EU had agreed to jointly facilitate the electrification of all primary schools from next year.

He said the ministry was working around the clock with relevant stakeholders to ensure the smooth implementation of the project. The project, he added, would be implemented through grid extension in areas near the existing grid and also through provision of solar PVs in areas far away from the grid network.

The project, he said, was expected to have substantial benefits in improving the learning process particularly in rural areas where poor academic results had been a worrying factor for many years.

“The electrification of primary schools is driven towards ensuring that the country’s education system produces productive citizens able to compete in the already hi-tech global market,” he said.

He noted that completion of the project would promote the use of electronic gadgets such as computers to enhance the learning process.

He said his ministry was concerned about poor academic results across the country and there would be no stone left unturned in rectifying the situation.  He also called on all concerned parties to play their role in facilitating the students learning process.

“Government is committed to improving the academic results and this can be testified by the amount of money invested in the education sector during government budget presentations. It is entirely upon other stakeholders particularly parents and village authorities to meet government half way in improving the education results in the country,” he said.

Some parents, he said, turned to shift all the learning responsibility on teachers, a thing which he said must come to an end since both parents and teachers were important in the students learning process.

Mr Goya urged parents to assist teachers in the upbringing of their children particularly when it comes to instilling discipline in them.  He said some parents have a tendency of supporting children on their wrong doings at the expense of moulding their future.

He emphasised the importance of having effective Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) at schools as they are the backbones to excellent working relationships that have to prevail between parents and teachers. 

Commenting, residents pleaded with the assistant minster to lure private companies to adopt more schools in Kgalagadi.

One of the residents, Mr Lesedi Mothibamele appealed to the ministry to review the transfer policy and refrain from separating married spouses as that led to many family break downs. Ends