19 Jun 2017

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Basic Education, Ms Grace Muzila says her ministry will continue to support the Mathematics and Science subjects in a bid to safeguard the future generation of Botswana in modern technology.

Speaking at Ghachonowe Regional Mathematics and Science Fair in Maun recently, Ms Muzila said Botswana was among the countries that had adopted the United Nations (UN) National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which included one goal that targeted quality education among member states.

She said Mathematics and Science subjects were key in solving the crisis of unemployment of many of the youth today.

She emphasised that the country was always in dire need of experts in the areas of health and engineering, adding that those professions were cultivated from Mathematics and Science subjects.

Ghachonowe which is an acronym for Ghanzi, Chobe and the North West regions held a regional Mathematics and Science fair under the theme Adopting Mathematics and Science to Confront Local Challenges in the modern world.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Maxwell Nhlatho, a young entrepreneur and owner of Doctors Inn Health Center in Maun implored young learners to invest their minds into technology since they were the ones who had a longer time period in their young lives to cherish the fruits of their inventions.

Dr Nhlatho gave examples of such prominent figures as American billionaires; Bill Gates; founder of Microsoft, a leading company in the sales and distribution of computer software and internet and the richest man in the world as well as the youthful Mark Zurkerberg, who is the founder of social media network Facebook, a leading social media network, saying the duo’s achievements were all because of computer technology.

He further encouraged learners to remain vigilant in the world of technology and never to allow anything put them down.

He gave an example of Michael Faraday, who invented the first generator.

Dr Nhlatho explained to learners that Michael Faraday had difficulty in talking and at one point even considered dropping out of school due to some students who often teased him, but when he considered what he had in mind, he kept on going and ‘now he is in the history books.

In his closing remarks, principal education officer from the North West region, Mr Justice Baloyi encouraged learners to take Mathematics and Science subjects seriously.

He said the most important areas in life were health and education, adding that they would have been no families without the two.

Mr Baloyi encouraged learners to dissuade from thinking that Mathematics and Science subjects were difficult, reminding them to ask themselves about how their teachers were able to teach them those subjects since they were also students at one point. BOPA