19 Oct 2015

Education fulfils one’s basic needs and promotes self-reliance, according to the managing director of Phakalane English Medium schools, Mr Israel Joseph.

He urged Nlapkhwane Primary School pupils during a prize giving ceremony and Standard VII farewell party to work hard in order to achieve results.

“There is no failure except in no longer trying,” he said. Mr Joseph also shared with the students how his primary school days were but he never threw in the towel.

 He said he used to walk long distances to school as well as carry his books in a plastic bag and that made him to work hard and excel in life.

Mr Joseph also stated that the only way to overcome social challenges and become a successful individual was through hard work, determination and perseverance.

“Adaptability is one of the essential pillars of success,” he added.  He said it called one to change their attitude towards their school work, parents, their peers and the community at large.

Mr Joseph also urged students to desist from home work defaulting, failure to complete written work given by their teachers and truancy. He encouraged them to change their plans, be principled and say no to negative peer pressure.

Furthermore, he said in order to remove obstacles in education, government also played a part in offering free education in all levels, from primary to tertiary education. “Education is the most powerful tool of change,” he said.

He indicated that it was through education that an individual could have the capacity to adapt to change and it was considered the best strategy of initiating, achieving and sustaining progress and development.

Mr Joseph suggested that teachers should develop measures of quality teaching such as providing learning experiences with coordinated sequences, structures and routines to present clear, specific goals for learning with performance criteria, to provide opportunities for students to practice skills to develop automaticity and also to increase fluency and efficiency.

He suggested that they should also provide opportunities for differentiated instruction including English language as well as to be mindful at all times since teaching was a calling.

Mr Joseph and Phakalane English Medium School donated a computer set, three in one printer and its ink all amounting to P8 000 and they also donated 50 chairs and 15 tables to Nlapkhwane pre-school.

The school head, Ms Lesedi Gobela, encouraged the students to take their studies seriously no matter how bad their family back ground was.

She vowed that she will track her Standard VII leaver’s performance for the next five years.

She was also grateful for all the help they received from Phakalane English Medium schools since they had a challenge especially when they wanted fax to communicate with other stakeholders as well as to photocopy their tests.

She encouraged the students to work hard and give back to the community just like Mr Joseph and make a difference in the country. ENDS