24 Apr 2017

Boot camps were started to address youth ill behaviour, says the South East region chief education officer, Ms Rosalind Serumola.
Officiating at the Taung Junior Secondary School boot camp in Taung recently, Ms Serumola said the boot camps aim to develop and groom responsible young men and women who would become future leaders. She said the camps started in 2014 targeting mainly Form Five students, but were later rolled out to include Form Four students.
Ms Serumola noted that Taung Junior School Form Three students were lucky because it was the first junior school to start the boot camp, adding that it would bring positive behaviour before students proceeded to senior school.
She said boot camps exist to address some of the challenges students faced such as drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, bad behavior and HIV/AIDS.
Ms Serumola said the camps raise awareness about the realities and challenges of life.
She said they were hopeful that the initiative would improve the students’ academic performance and help develop a positive mindset beyond the classroom.
Through the camps, students are taught about the need to increase participation in community service which strengthen the spirit of patriotism, strengthen socially acceptable behaviour and values among young people.
She encouraged them to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship and self-reliance so that if they do not pass their Form Three examinations, they could go into business.
During comments, students cited factors such as drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, lack of commitment to work and lack of confidence as some of their downfall.
In her remarks, Taung secondary school head teacher, Ms Faith Tshiamo said the boot camp was going to change the way the students perceived the world and ultimately forgo bad practices such as drinking alcohol and smoking. end