19 Jan 2017

Kgosi Oletsositse Mosweu of Dukwi says a disadvantaged social background that some parents raise their children in should not be a barrier for such children to receive basic formal education.

Kgosi Mosweu said this in an interview with BOPA, expressing a concern that some children from Dukwi neighbouring settlement areas are denied an opportunity to receive education despite availed resources.

He said some of the parents give out lame excuses saying they cannot afford to send their children to school because of poverty. “It is disheartening that some parents from settlement areas are reluctant to send their children to school giving reasons that they are living under abject poverty conditions,” he said.

Kgosi Mosweu said the government is aware of the effects of poverty and it is for the reason that possible solutions are implemented so as to emancipate people from such challenges.

He said being poor should not be used as a reason on failure to send children to school but instead he said the affected should always seek relevant advice.

“Departments such as the Social and Community Development(S&CD) and others have means to address such challenges,” he said.
 Kgosi Mosweu said as of the areas that have no schools or are far from schools, necessary arrangements are often put in place to send children to primary schools with boarding facilities.

He said the children are given the basic needs and caretakers are engaged to keep an eye on them and assist with other necessities while they are away from their parents.

Meanwhile Kgosi Mosweu also noted that issues of behavioural change among the youth from the settlement areas remain a challenge. He said alcohol abuse, which leads to issues of multi concurrent sex partners as well as teenage pregnancies is one  of the disturbing issues that the youth engage in.

Kgosi Mosweu said programmes such as public health talks and other information is availed at the local clinic with the intention to help the youth address their health challenges. However he said the message seems to fall on deaf ears.ENDS