25 Oct 2015

Gaborone Secondary School (GSS) has received five desktop computers worth P25 000 as donation from Chinese Embassy in Botswana.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony recently, Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Moiseraele Goya said he was pleased to receive another kind and generous donation from the Chinese Embassy.

“I would like to extend a word of appreciation to the Chinese Embassy for its decision to invest in education of our children. This support will inspire students and staff to take GSS to greater heights,” Mr Goya said. 

He said it was important to note that resources could only play a catalytic role in the teaching process.

However, he said resources on their own did not guarantee results and implored teachers and students to continue to work hard to achieve improved student outcomes.

Mr Goya said government alone could not shoulder the burden of running and resourcing schools, hence his ministry introduced the ‘Adopt a School’ initiative in 2012 to create space for the private sector, NGO’S, churches, and individual members of the community to lend support to the schools and make their running a shared responsibility.

“I am extremely happy inform you that the ‘Adopt a School’ initiative is doing well and to date over 500 schools have been adopted,” he said.

Mr Goya said working with development partners, government was addressing challenges that stifle progress in the schools.  

For his part, political counsellor and deputy ambassador of Chinese Embassy, Mr Li Nan said over the 40 years, the two countries had been enjoying excellent and fruitful cooperation in various areas.

Education, he said plays an extraordinary role in our bilateral relations. 

He said every year, China provides about 100 government scholarships for Batswana students.

So far, he said more than 700 Botswana had benefited under Chinese scholarship.

Besides scholarships, Mr Li said China also provides human resources development programmes to Botswana

He said since 1999, around 1 000 Botswana officials and technicians had been invited to attend seminars, workshops and short term training programmess in various fields.

He said China had also donated two primary schools to Botswana in Serowe and Maun and they were now preparing to donate two more schools in Mopane and Kazungula as a response to government’s 2012 ‘Adopt-A-School’ initiative.

“Educational exchanges and cooperation between our two countries have greatly strengthened the mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples and made contributions to the social and economic development of Botswana,” he said.

In his welcoming remarks, GSS head, Mr Khangelani Tshebo said the donation would go a long way in helping their institution to realise its dream as obtained in the school vision of becoming a morally upright and academically excelling institution.

“This gesture will go a long way in improving academic results of the school and provide opportunity for more interactions with students,” he said. 

Furthermore, he said the school would be able to effectively absorb all students who opt to do computer studies as well as provide computer awareness programme to all other students in the school. ENDS