17 Sep 2018

 Kgari Sechele Senior Secondary School (KS II) in Molepolole prides itself with producing some of the country’s leaders.

They include former minister and ambassador Boometswe Mokgothu, retired Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo and current Attorney General Abram Keetshabe. 

This came to light during the school’s 60 years anniversary and prize giving ceremony on September 14.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Basic Education Mr Bagalatia Arone, said it was be-fitting for the school to have produced citizens of high calibre which should be an encouragement to current students. 

He said it was time for the education system to return to the basics, such as teaching students the meaning behind the National Anthem, the exercise the minister said was a fundamental map in developing the mind. 

He further said the level of Botswana’s development will be determined by the value of education which also depended on the quality of teachers.

Minister Arone said government remained committed to providing quality education and will ensure that it builds schools and offer necessary infrastructure for teaching and learning. 

He said government had over the years produced high number of graduates, although they were faced with challenges such as unemployment.

As such, the minister said government’s priority was not to produce graduates ready for employment, but rather ready to be entrepreneurs. 

The minister said the intention was to embark on an exercise to ensure that schools had the right leadership capable of effecting improved academic performance and further that teaching cadre will also be elevated.

He said Diploma and Certificate holders would be assisted to upgrade to have at least a first Degree and up to Masters, for them to be globally competitive and effect necessary change in schools’ results. 

For his part, the KS II headmaster Mr Lapologang Kolagano said they have collaborated with other stakeholders in an effort to enhance their education and improve their performance.

Mr Kolagano said former students had also pledged to assist, and have contributed P120 000 which will be used to construct a shelter in the assembly area. 

He said Botswana Defence Force (BDF) had provided students with boot-camps and Kgosi Kgari III of Bakwena has assigned five dikgosi to help instilling good behavour and discipline among students. 

He said Mr Mpho Balopi of Native Impressions had pledged P10 000 for a student who abides by the training offered by the bootcamp and further, he offered to sponsor a student to a school of his or her choice and mentor on entrepreneurship skills. 

New Era has offered to sponsor the school’s prize giving ceremony for five years with best students awarded laptops and tablets, and P200 vouchers for all awardees. ENDS