22 Aug 2016

An official from the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) has advised school authorities across the nation to revive subject associations.

Mr Cecil Gape made the call during a two-day Botswana Social Studies Association (BOSSA) fair held in Pitsane recently.

Mr Gape explained that BOSSA was formed in 1985 by teachers who wanted to promote effective teaching and learning of Social Studies as a subject.

He also explained that the association played a critical role in the formulation of Social Studies syllabi as well as the setting and standardization of both Junior Certificate Examinations (JCE) and Botswana General Certificate in Secondary Education (BGCSE) through various members of BOSSA.

Mr Gape further shared that DCEC would sponsor BOSSA regional fairs at a total cost of P 150 000 annually  for the next five years. He said each region would get P30 000 thus encouraged other subject associations to get back on their feet.

He highlighted that BOSSA in the past has produced leaders of note in the mould of Kgosi Puso Gaborone of Batlokwa, Mr Justin Hunyepa and Mr Modisaotsile Hulela among others.

BOSSA chairperson for the South Region Mr Gaseitsewe Phesudi for his part encouraged Social Studies teachers to revive the subject clubs at their various schools. Mr Phesudi raised concern that some schools which were not doing well on the subject were also not active in the association but argued that reviving Social Studies clubs would have a positive impact on academic results in the long run.

Mr Phesudi also raised a view that some subject moderators were usually biased towards their schools during fairs which he said killed the spirit of healthy competition necessary to encourage learners to do their best. Doing so, he argued, denied the region an opportunity to be represented by the best students at national levels.

He encouraged all BOSSA members to take advantage of the fact that their organization was the only subject based association that was still functional and being funded by a government department. Ends