19 Sep 2016

The construction of the new Gerald Estate secondary school is not only just another development, but will touch the lives of both the old and young in a positive way.

One such person who already fantasises about the completion of the new school is 14-year-old Keitshokile Baliki.

The teenager, who was temporarily admitted at Goldmine Secondary School at the beginning of this year for his Form one, will be among the pioneering students of the new school next year.

Last year while he was doing Standard Seven he woke up every morning at 5am because he attended a nearby Tagala Primary School, but this year did only add another level to his education but also another hour to his awake times.

“Ke simolotse go tsoga ka 4 phakela gape ke robala bosigo thata ka jaana sekole se kgakala,” he said. He explains that he wakes up at 4am every school day because he now attends about nine kilometres away.

Baliki further said he sleeps late because every day he arrives home after 6pm and on arrival he was expected to help with household chores as well as do his assignments.

A Form Two student, Winki Mompati, who is only transported in the morning and walks back in the evening, says she envies the Form Ones as they would be admitted at the new school.

She further said unlike boys who attend at the same school, girls use a longer route home to avoid a short cut as it passes through the bush.

Mompati however said she was happy because her siblings would be admitted at the new school.

Ms Boitumelo Baliki, who is Keitshokile’s grandmother, says she has three grandchildren of which one was an orphan and she provides for transport fare through her old age pension.

“Sekole se sesha se tla thusa thata mme ga nne se tsaya bana botlhe fela go felela ka Form 3 re ne re ka hema phefo, legale mme gone lemme ga le bolae,” she said

Gerald Estate Customary Court president, Kgosi Paul Motshwane, who is an ex-officio member of Goldmine secondary PTA, appreciates the new school saying it was long overdue.

Kgosi Motshwane says he was optimistic that the opening of the new school would help improve academic results of Gerald Estate children.

Kgosi Motshwane says he has been summoned on several occasions at the Goldmine secondary to intervene on matters of delinquency and absenteeism.

“In one case a child was absent for 20 days and that is possible due to the distance these children travel, it is not easy for their parents to monitor their movements,” he says.

He, however, appealed to parents of Gerald Estate to work closely with teachers in order to detect any misconduct at an early stage.

The area MP, Mr Ignatius Moswaane says the construction of the new school was not only a step towards the realisation of an educated and informed nation, but was a heed to the call by residents to have a secondary school nearby.

“I cannot contain my happiness about this development because while I was still a councillor, I was part of the delegation that met the Minister of Education and Skills Development to request for it, and this school is indeed a dream come true not only to the residents of Gerald Estate but to the councillors of Francistown as well,” he said.

He cites that last year there were two cases of rape in which students were involved and the opening of the new school would help address such.

Mr Moswaane, however, said he would ask the government to turn the school into a unified secondary because Gerald Estate with its two primary schools cannot fill it.

The Francistown West legislator appealed to parents to help care for the new school to avoid any incidents of vandalism.

Meanwhile, the 30 class roomed school was built at a cost of P118 million and expected to open its doors next year.

The construction of the school started in October 2014 and was expected to be completed this year in January but due to challenges such as the unavailability of the environmental impact assessment and raw materials it was delayed. ENDS