10 Apr 2017

Kgatleng District Council chairperson, Mr Mpho Morolong has expressed worry over the declining academic results in district.

Speaking during an emergency meeting of all education stakeholders at Molefhi Senior Secondary School in Mochudi recently, Mr Morolong said he was greatly disappointed by the current results produced by schools. 

He requested all parents and teachers association members from different schools in the region to join hands and come up with initiatives that can improve grades.

He said at the just ended full council, councillors had shown concern over the number of school dropouts and decline in academic results.

“I have asked all councillors to be involved not only at schools in their areas, but to share custody of all the schools in Kgatleng, and to also visit Molefhi to assess the progress of students and motivate them in whatever way they can,” he stressed. 

The council chairperson said his aim was to see results improve in all schools, whether primary, junior or secondary because that would show the value that ‘our students, together with parents give to education’.

Mr Morolong said it was imperative that all stakeholders had input in student welfare to take note of all the dangers that occur in the children’s lives.

 He asked the PTA members from different schools to frequent his office with new ideas, saying that he would take note of their suggestions.

He said besides the current factors that may have impact on poor results like maintenance of school facilities and teachers welfare, it was important that all forces came on board to help students perform better.

Mr Morolong said education had three pillars being parents, students and teachers and if all worked together, the pass rate in the region would be high.

The council chairperson called on all parents to groom their children to become responsible citizens and create a beneficial learning environment for them to excel in their academics.

He expressed  concern about students who loiter around the mall after school, saying that they had adopted bad habits of using drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol, which influenced their terrible behaviour.

“Start with a child at home, teach them how to behave as a student and what it means to be a student, because some of the bad influence they get is from the comby drivers and conductors, I am aware of the schools that have performed well, but some of the factors I mentioned will affect them if we do not take this seriously,” he said.

A member of PTA from Segale Primary School, Mr Lawrence Kgari said parents should pull up their socks and visit students at schools to check their academic performance.

He encouraged parents to pay tuition fees for their children, and put the interest of their children’s education first by making sure they have proper uniform and do their homework.

Ms Bontshe Modibe, PTA member from Molefhi senior stressed the importance  of grooming a child from Standard One as that would make it easier for teachers at junior and senior schools to pave their future and deal with education instead of  being drawn back to teach them manners.

She said television programmes such as Talk Back and A re bueng on Radio should be utilised to educate and give parents an idea of what is happening in their children’s life, adding that parents should be eager to know about their children’s whereabouts.

She pointed out that most parents were still youthful yet they never attend school meetings or take part in school activities.

Ms Modibe added that ‘it was high time we request the police to  intervene to assist with the loitering of students  at the malls’.

One of the parents suggested that PTA leaders involve parents and desist from taking  decisions without notifying parents, saying ‘this will motivate parents to take part in school activities’.

She also requested that school staff be rotated so that they do not get too comfortable in the same environment and begin dragging their feet. ENDS