07 Apr 2016

The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development Mr Moiseraele Goya has said youth are pillars of the future of Botswana that need to be protected by all people diligently working together to guide them into acceptable behaviour. 

Mr Goya said this in Palapye recently at a kgotla meeting organised by Captive Eye Organisation, a youth- targeted association with a mandate of guiding and counselling youth and students.  

He said Botswana is currently a country of hope and inspiration. He said though there are many challenges facing Botswana like unemployment and poverty,  Botswana is still a country with good opportunities due to extensive developments created since independence. 

He said the country has precisely achieved a lot in building great facilities such as those of health and education. 

He said there is a record on the country’s efforts of eradicating chronic poverty and fighting diseases particularly HIV/AIDS.

Mr Goya said the enemy that is now facing the country is the use of drugs and abuse of alcohol that has extended even into the school parameters, a situation that is worrying because it affects the performance of students in schools and disturbs their learning. He said students no longer produce good results that were expected from them because of their involvement in drugs and alcohol. 

He said now teachers spend a lot of curriculum time reserved for teaching students in convincing students to quit the use of alcohol and drugs. He said the condition of students excessively using drugs and alcohol affects the future of this country in a more destructive way.

Mr Goya criticised some of the parents who sell drugs and alcohol to students and those who entertain students or allow them in bars and other harmful places saying such practices destroy the future of the country.  He warned parents to refrain from giving their children pocket money because there is no use in doing so as the government freely prepares meals for them. Ends