09 Nov 2016

Ghxabara Primary School and two tourists from the United States: Ms Pat Cairns and Ms Barbra Bales continue to strengthen their relationship through the Adopt a School initiative.

This followed an invitation extended to the school by Botswana school project facilitated by Ms Cairns and Ms Bales where a teacher, Mr Baganetsi Kamanakao went on a bench marking exercise in schools in the United States for three weeks.

The duo adopted the school during their tour to the Okavango delta in 2012 as they visited the school before heading back to USA where they vowed to assist and support the school with educational materials.

In an interview, Public Relation officer in the  North West regional education office, Mr Lesley Kehitile said the benchmarking exercise is an opportunity that worth investing in noting that the exercise would not only benefit Gxhabara school but schools in the entire region.

He explained that the exercise would include observation lessons  in various schedules thus observing teaching and learning methodology to improve performance.

He said Mr Kamanakao would also observe teaching and learning standards, learner retention strategies, remediation initiatives, class learning environment and management, indiscipline, late coming, learner and teacher motivation.

In addition, he said Mr Kamanakao would also have an opportunity to exchange culture and use of Information technology (IT) as the school has been supplied with IT equipment.

Mr Kehitile pointed out that the benching marking exercise is a move in the right direction noting that the region has high cases of pupils’ indiscipline and poor performance.

“This exercise would assist us to acquire skills to deal with issues of indiscipline, poor performance and learner retention strategies. Mr Kamanakao will be collecting materials to be used in his school and some schools in Maun”, he added.

He said on his return, Mr Kamanakao would be given an opportunity to share with other teachers in the region and also required to come up with an implementation plan.

He would also be released to assist other regions on request.

However, since they adopted the school, the American tourists had donated educational materials such as refurbished lap tops, files, school bags, computer microscopes, 20 000 library books, two cameras, projector, 270 learners chairs, stationery,  and top ten achievers tags worth P2 500.

The team also donated money for Christmas party for orphans and needy children in 2014 and 2015. ENDS