20 Aug 2017

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Basic Education, Ms Grace Muzila has commended North East for their excellent performance in the 2016 Primary School Leaving Examination, Junior Certificate and Botswana General Certificate for Secondary Education (BGCSE).

Giving a keynote address at the North East regional excellence awards in Masunga on Friday, she stated that teachers held their leaners with high regard and made them feel worthwhile.

This she said gave parents assurance that their children were safe in the school environment.

Ms Muzila encouraged parents, teachers and leaners to continue working hard and making the school proud because that would attract investors to adopt their schools.

“When a village excels in education, the village develops because these leaners then invest back in their village,” she said.

The PS advised primary schools to continue offering breakthrough programme in standard one classes as it laid a strong foundation for leaners.

She told teachers to also identify every leaner’s passion in order to support and drive them towards their aspirations and dreams.

Ms Muzila said by investing in education as a country, it would improve human resource and further improve the economy.

She said with the three senior secondary schools in the region being Mater Spei, Masunga and Francistown there was nothing stopping them from scooping the top three positions.

“I have come to observe that parents in the North East love education which makes it easy for children to excel and that culture should be instilled everywhere,” stated Ms Muzila.
She applauded the leaners enrolled under the out of school programme whom she said were performing well in their respective schools.

Ms Muzila urged the teachers to continue working hard despite stagnating in their progress.
The Francistown regional education director, Mr Mabunga Gadibolae stated that hard work and team work was behind the region’s success story.

He highlighted that 10 schools from the region had received awards at ministerial level after producing 100 per cent pass rate.

He said in JC they came second nationally beaten by South East adding while in BGCSE two off their schools were in top four, being Mater Spei in second and Masunga in fourth place.

Nevertheless, Mr Gadibolae said there were struggling schools in the region which obtained below 60 per cent result but noted that they were doing every thing to give the schools extra attention.

Susan Agetha Charlie and Kuda Martin both from Mater Spei were recognised for being in the top 10 in the BGCSE performance nationally.
Phenyo Mabula of Shanganani Junior School and Alec Ibrahim of Montsamaisa were crowned the best students in junior schools.

The best overall students in primary schools award went to Obakeng Matakule of Mowana, Chaba David from Nyangabwe and Maipelo Whitney of Ikhutseng.
Setlalekgosi JSS was named the best school while Donga JSS was named the most improved school in the Francistown cluster.

Thamani and Shanganani JSS were crowned the best and most improved respectively in the North East cluster.
In the primary category, Phatlhogo and Pole were named the best while Satellite and Mowana were the most improved.

Mater spei was crowned the best in senior schools while Masunga was the most improved. Ends