28 Jun 2016

Bonwatlou Junior Secondary School in Serule will have its infrastructure maintained through the Economic Stimulus Programme.

The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Moiseraele Goya launched the maintenance project at the school on June 23 where he noted that the total cost for the initiative stood at P7.7 million.

He said the project entailed doing maintenance on staff houses, classrooms, laboratories, the school’s multipurpose hall, kitchen and hostels. 

He said the maintenance job involved building, mechanical and electrical works. 

He noted that three citizen owned companies had been engaged to pursue the maintenance works. 

Mr Goya said Kota Construction company had been given the responsibility of doing the building works at a cost of P5.9 million, Temperature Technology the mechanical works  company at just over P1 million while EG Solar Botswana had been contracted to pursue the electrical works at the sum of over P700 000.

He mentioned that the project was expected to be complete in six months, adding that the project at the school would create employment for about 50 citizens. 

He indicated that the maintenance of the school would change its appearance for the better and would provide a conducive environment for learning. He said he hoped that the school’s performance would improve as his ministry had put a target pass rate of 85 per cent which all schools including Bonwatlou JSS should strive to achieve.

Mr Goya who is also Member of Parliament for Palapye went on to state that the education ministry had planned to pursue 47 ESP projects in the 2016/2017 financial year covering staff rooms, expansion of schools and maintenance. 

He explained that 17 building maintenance projects, 12 mechanical maintenance projects, nine electrical maintenance and nine building works had been budgeted for. 

He said the total amount budgeted for the projects which included the Bonwatlou JSS maintenance project rounded up to just over P711.5 million. 

He said so far the ministry had spent P110.7 million as mobilisation of projects that had started across the country.

He indicated that the 47 projects included the construction of 26 new classrooms, one laboratory, 216 staff houses and 17 maintenance works. 

He said all these works would be done in 13 junior secondary schools and four brigades countrywide

The legislator mentioned that the aim of ESP was to stimulate the economy for accelerated employment creation and economic diversification.

Meanwhile head of Bonwatlou JSS Mr Shepherd Mojako, thanked the government for introducing the ESP. 

He said the projects undertaken through the programme would improve the learning environment in schools. 

However, he mentioned that his school faced problems in that some parts that needed maintenance in the school were not included in the current ESP. 

He requested that in the next phase of ESP, the government should consider attending to some challenges experienced at the school such as shortage of water at the school hostels, problems with the drainage system behind the school kitchen, storm water drainage system at the school and construction of more staff houses and classrooms.

Councillor for Serule-Gojwane Mr Meshack Mabutho noted that residents of Serule and Batswana as a whole should praise the government for the introduction of the ESP as the programme had proved to benefit many Batswana, stimulate the economy and help diversify the economy of the country. 

He said many youth companies had been engaged in the ESP and were benefitting financially. 

He encouraged youths who had not yet registered companies to do so in order to also be empowered through the programme.

Mr Mabutho went on to urge parents, teachers and students to take care of the school facilities after the maintenance project had been complete so that other children could benefit as well in future.

Bonwatlou Junior Secondary School is a boarding school with 635 students. 

Out of the total number, 447 are boarders at the school while 188 are day scholars. Intake at the school includes students from Serule, Gojwane, Damochujenaa, Foley, Topisi and Robelela villages. Ends