30 May 2016

The Ministry of Education and Skills Development recently launched the first Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) project in Maunatlala.

When launching the project, the Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development Mr Moiseraele Goya said all in all there are 47 projects to be undertaken by his ministry covering staff rooms, expansion of schools and maintenance.

He said the projects included 26 new classrooms, one science laboratory, 216 staff houses and 17 maintenance works.

He said the aim of ESP is to stimulate the economy for accelerated employment creation and diversification. He said this is in response to the unfavourable economic meltdown of 2008/9 which resulted in job losses worldwide.

Mr Goya said from this project alone, many Batswana would be employed, adding that in phase one, 1 188 jobs would be created. For phase two, he said, the government is still to determine the number of employment opportunities that will be created and these will be communicated in due course.

Mr Goya said while it may seem that construction is taking the limelight in ESP, it should not be forgotten that ESP is meant to steer economic activity in other economic areas which cover tourism development, agricultural production as well as manufacturing. 

He said Maunatlala Junior Secondary School  would be expanded, a project that was awarded and commissioned in March 2016 at a sum of P40 450 011.14.

He said other projects that are 17 in number are scattered across the country in all the regions covering 13 junior secondary schools and four brigades and all of them were planned and awarded in 2015/16 and have since commenced. 

He said six projects are between 0 to 5% physical completion status including Maunatlala Junior School project and 11 projects are between 10 to 15% physical progress status.

Mr Goya said the expansion of Maunatlala JSS was long overdue. He said the school has been running with 12 classrooms for 15 classes and there are no permanent boarding facilities for Seolwane students who have been accommodated in temporary and worn out boarding facilities. 

He said the old porta cabins which were used as hostels were so dilapidated and as a result, boarding was stopped in the school in 2009.

He said these temporary structures were not good enough hence these new buildings will give the school a better look compared to the previous one.

  The new building comprises two new classrooms, boys and girls hostels each accommodating 144 students and 14 staff houses. 

The headmaster of Maunatlala Junior School, Ms Botho Makwati said they highly appreciate what the government has provided them with. She said they bid farewell to their annual cries about their sister schools taking their cream from feeder schools, queries about accommodation and low academic results.

Palapye Sub-council chairperson Mr Lesedi Phuthego said the project was going to be of maximum benefit to the villages of Mokokwana, Mosweu and Seolwane. He encouraged the school to ensure that they produce better results. Ends