04 Jun 2018

Chobe Land board chairperson, Mr Johane Chenjekwa has implored stakeholders in the Chobe region to strive to drive the country towards a knowledge-based economy.

Speaking at the Teachers Day commemorations held at Seboba Recreation Park recently, Mr Chenjekwa said the district still records a decline in academic performance, which he said calls for a total commitment from all in taking education to the desired levels.

He said the theme, You and I can deliver the most needed quality education in Botswana, was a call on everybody to strive to enable the country to compete globally through a knowledge-based economy.

He said teachers contributed more than 70 per cent towards the livehood of learners and was through their sacrifice, collective skills, talents, strengths and commitments that the country as whole could achieve service excellence.

“A teacher will always remain a core factor in the success of this country and we cannot achieve any desired quality education without concerted effort of teachers and other stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Chenjekwa said a teacher played a very vital role towards all lives through injecting knowledge, experience and vision to the society at large.

He noted that the teaching profession was of great responsibility than any job as it had impact on the growth, development and well-being of the student and the nation

He said the teaching profession was a unique one as all professions exist because of a teacher and the country’s prosperity hinges solely on teacher’s grass roots work as they were the first that interacts with children at the career path defining level.

He said while there were some achievements in the profession such as the phasing out of the primary school certificate as point of entry into the teaching profession and the continuous furthering of education for the teachers by the government, amongst others, there were some challenges.

Such challenges, Mr Chenjekwa said, include lack of decent accommodation for the teachers, the refurbishment of old classrooms, laboratories and hostels, student indiscipline, overstaying and the remunerations of teachers.

He said the problem of lack of decent accommodation for the teachers needed government and the private sector to partner and avail a conducive environment for the teachers while that of old facilities needed a permanent solution as it contributed to the decline of students performance.

On student indiscipline, Mr Chenjekwa urged all stakeholders to work hand in hand to ensure the learners become disciplined and prioritise the acquisition of education.

On the issue of transfers, he observed that overstaying in one district had arguably proven to be a demotivating factor to teachers and should to be looked into. Ends