12 Sep 2016

Deputy Vice Chancellor of research development and  innovation for Botswana International University of Science and Technology Professor David Norris showered Tshekedi Primary School  teachers with accolades for their continued commitment to make the difference in academics.
Speaking during  the school teachers’ excellence awards on Friday (September 9), Professor Norris said the level of the staff created an opportunity to make the difference.
During the recent primary leaving certificate examination the school scooped second position in central region
He said the staff is not simply “doing their job”- they are people with vision who walk extra mile and apply their sense of creativity and commitment to serve differently.
“I am told that Tshekedi Primary School in Serowe is ranked among the top best country wide,” he stated.
Despite, the challenges such as small classrooms, lack of transport and library facilities and shortage of textbooks, he said the school managed to succeed.
The awards theme; Team Work and Commitment to Service Delivery: A key to Excellence, he said is applicable to all high performers, “if you excel you are recognised and better prospectus for progression.”
Professor Norris encouraged  teachers to maintain the culture of academic and professional excellence.
“Education is the engine of human resource development,therefore, let us continuously deliver education for the betterment of our country. Education is a weapon through which we can eradicate poverty and disease. It also equip us with the skills and knowledge to attain sustainable development,” he said.
Professor Norris further said the Ministry of Education and Skill Development has a mammoth task ahead of them of ensuring that all Batswana have access to quality education in line with the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP).
He said the objectives of ETSSP is to provide quality, relevant and sustainable lifelong education, which is globally competitive so as to transform Botswana  from a resource based to a skill and knowledge based society.
For her part, head of academic at Tshekedi Primary school, Ms Letshedile Kokoro said they are motivated by the quote ‘No matter how the sky may be crowded with stars I will always find myself amongst them.’ Ms Kokoro said the reason why they conducted this kind of activity at their school level is that at regional level only limited numbers of teachers are rewarded and at time no one from their school is nominated.
She said since the inception of this kind of awards they have realised good and positive results to their school. She said the overall for standard 1-6 was 86 per cent and impressive results for the school in the year 2015 they registered 52As, 40Bs, 41Cs, 9Ds and 1E. ENDS