28 Aug 2017

Paper 4 Africa has donated 43 800 scribblers to Bobirwa primary schools during the Bobonong constituency academic excellence awards ceremony held at Rasetimela Primary School in Bobonong on Friday.

The director of Paper 4 Africa, Mr Joseph Puvinamasinghe congratulated Bobirwa schools for their good performance in the 2016 Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE).

He said his company was committed to supporting and assisting in improving educational standards in Botswana.

Mr Puvinamasinghe also noted that his company started the education initiative in 2014 in response to President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s appeal to stakeholders to help the government in improving the quality of education in Botswana.

He also noted that his company has donated over 300 000 books to 100 000 children in over 50 schools around the  country.

Mr Puvinamasinghe encouraged the administers of schools to continue with their excellent performance, saying  they were the leaders of the country who could improve the quality of education in schools, and challenged the business community to perform their social responsibility.

The excellence awards for the constituency is the brainchild of the Member of Parliament for Bobonong constituency, Mr Shaw Kgathi.
Mr Kgathi, who is also Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, said the awards for the upcoming Bobirwa intellectuals and high achievers was born out of the conviction that education was a primary source of empowerment any parent or government could give to their children.

He said access to education was a means through which everyone, including children from underprivileged families, could reach their full potential.

Mr Kgathi  also said the role of any political leader was to  spearhead  success and excellence as one of the primary roles one should perform as a political representative.

He said the excellence awards showed his desire to improve performance within schools across the constituency.

“The awards are to reward excellence and an indication that despite all the odds education can  dislodge one from the shackles of poverty,”  he said.
Mr Kgathi added that the primary role of the awards was to reward those who had demonstrated potential in academics, and urged them to sustain the challenge.

The MP said Bobirwa was endowed with many intelligent and academically gifted young people, and he called on all high achievers in various fields within the Bobirwa Sub-district to support them and play their role in guiding and serving as role models.

To show commitment to education, Mr Kgathi has over a period of two years starting in 2014 donated balls to all 17 primary schools for each class for netball, volleyball and football through the World Group of Companies.

The MP has also donated school uniforms to all primary schools except for six schools that will get their uniform next year.

The chief education officer in Bobirwa, Mr Moses Tshetlhana appreciated the education empowerment initiatives spearheaded by Mr Kgathi.

He said the initiative, which includes awarding presents to top students, teachers and schools as well as uniforms to students  would make them work harder at all times, and that it would help in improving education standards.

Rasetimela Primary School head, Ms Monica Rampoka thanked individuals and companies who contributed to the success of the Bobonong constituency academic excellence awards.

She said the contributors worked tirelessly to ensure that the awards ceremony was a succeess.
Money, certificates, cell phones and trophies were given to best performing schools in PSLE and JCE, best performing students in PSLE, JCE and BGCSE.  

The best performing schools were given P1 500 and a trophy.
Best performing teachers were also given a certificate, cellphone and P1 000. ENDS