05 Feb 2018

Member of Parliament for Lerala/Maunatlala, Mr Prince Maele has raised concern over Moeng College’s poor academic results.

Addressing the college staff and teachers at the school on February 2, Mr Maele said Moeng College’s declining academic results were a cause for concern.

He noted that the college used to be one of the best performing schools in the country, and urged both teachers and students to put more effort into taking the school back to its glory days.

He said the school has been struggling to meet the set target, and that it attained 33.9 per cent  in 2010, 14.3 per cent in 2014 and 20 per cent pass rate in the 2016 BGCSE examinations.

He urged teachers to do their best to improve the school’s performance, adding that parents were complaining about the schools performance.

Mr Maele also informed the Moeng College community that he was aware that the school needs maintenance, and that he would take up the issue with the relevant ministry.

He said the challenge was common for most senior secondary schools, but that they continued to do well in spite of the challenge.

He urged teachers and students to work together to improve academic results. He also urged students to desist from drugs, love affairs and vandalism, adding that they would have a negative effect on their school work.

“It is upon you as students to change your behaviour, and change comes from within,” said the MP, adding that students were worsening the situation at Moeng College.

Mr Maele also informed teachers about the Cyber-Crime Bill, saying it would address issues of hacking, bullying and insulting others on social media. He said the bill has been put before Parliament for approval.

For his part, one of the heads of department, Mr Sekgele Beleng said teachers were faced with challenges that needed to be addressed in order to improve their work.

He said there was a problem of inadequate water supply, Internet, lack of public transport, security and dilapidated infrastructure.

He noted that consultants were once engaged to do a bill of quantity, but that nothing was done to maintain the school.

Ms Bonnie Maila, a guidance and counselling teacher at Moeng College, complained about the lack of support from parents.

She said 50 per cent of parents failed to collect their children’s academic reports even when informed to do so.

She said the school organised a boot camp for students to address the problem of moral decay, but that some parents did not support the initiative.

She noted that junior schools in the college’s catchment area were also performing poorly resulting in poor academic results at BGCSE.

Students on the other hand complained about teachers’ attitude towards them, saying they were not impressed with some of their teachers’ behaviour.

They also complained about old infrastructure in their school and the bad behaviour of some of their peers.

They said the school should take action against students who engaged in drugs and vandalism. ENDS