26 Sep 2016

Mmaphula Junior Secondary School students have been urged to set themselves goals that will bring about good results. Speaking during the school’s prize giving ceremony.

Palapye branch Water Utilities Corporation general manager Ms Daphne Motsumi urged students to set themselves goals that will enable them to pass their Junior Certificate Examinations with flying colours.

She said it is possible to achieve a dream despite poor family background, adding that one’s background should not deter them from achieving their dreams.

Ms Motsumi further said self-discipline is important as it enables one to achieve his or her dream.

She said Mmaphula JSS is one of the best performing schools in Palapye sub region, attributing this to self-discipline by students.

She said this country is where it is today because of self-discipline.

She said as the country celebrates 50th independence anniversary, it is important to also celebrate and honour those teachers who worked tirelessly to produce good leaders of this country.

She said those teachers worked hard with little resources but they managed to bring about well-rounded students with outstanding performance in their examinations.

She said they made it because of the love they had for their job.

Furthermore she urged parents, teachers and the community to join hands to improve academic results, adding that teachers cannot achieve this alone.

Parents were also encouraged to participate in the education of their children.

She said Water Utilities Corporation is impressed by Mmaphula JSS academic results as it donated a 40 inch television set to the school.

For his part the school head, Mr Leano Mphotho said his school has been performing exceptionally well in the past five years having attained 52.4 per cent in 2014 and 49.5 per cent ABC in 2015.

He said the school is working hard to improve credit pass. “We are determined to make the school an epitome of excellence,” he said.

He said unlike other schools, the school has not registered any school drop outs.

He said the school is not only doing well academically but also continues to shine in the co-curricular activities, having produced students who played in the national football team, citing Thato Kobue.

However he said the school is faced with challenges such as high teacher student ratio as a result of enrolling more students than the school can handle.

He said currently the pupil’s number stands at 820 against the set 720 enrollment capacity.

He also decried the use of drugs by students, shortage of teachers accommodation and low parents’ participation in school activities.

For his part deputy district commissioner Mr Ernest Phiri urged students to prepare for examinations well on time, adding “if you fail to prepare you are preparing to fail.”

He urged them to change their attitudes towards school work reminding them that their destiny lies in their own hands.

He however raised concern over high school drop outs in Central District as a result of teenage pregnancy cases which exceeded 400 in the period between April and June.

He said 82 of those cases were registered in Palapye.

He said social ills are also a problem in Palapye which calls for all stakeholders to join hands to address this problem.

Three students Nicole Mutimbanyoka, Pako Masilo and Boipelo Motlogelwa were acknowledged as best students in form one, two and three respectively.

The day was held under the theme Rounded, Proud and United Leaders of Tomorrow. ENDS