19 Sep 2018

Information and communication technology plays a vital role in transforming education as well as increasing knowledge to a wide section of the population.

This was said by the acting dean of the faculty of rural economy and education extension from Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Nelson Tselaesele when officiating at the Kgalagadi region excellence awards in Kang last week.

Dr Tselaesele said the use of technology was relevant in today’s world as it would help to transform leaners into better citizens. 

He said it was through technology that leaners could become innovative, globally competitive, informed and engaged at the same time.

He also encouraged teachers to get trained in the use and infusion of ICT in teaching and learning so that they could continue to perfect their skills in becoming change agents in their schools.

Despite the opportunities presented by technology, Dr Tselaesele decried the misuse of social media, substance and drug abuse, peer pressure and teenage pregnancy in many schools.

He said the disturbing behaviour needed a holistic approach and supporting students on issues that concerned their wellbeing.

He encouraged teachers to understand the underlying factors regarding the manner in which students handled themselves. He also extended the call to parents and the community to also play  a pivotal role in the matters.

He said collaboration would nurture a positive relationship between students, teachers and parents, and that the three parties could rely on each other for support hence creating a conducive learning environment that would help to improve the academic performance of students.

On other issues, Dr Tselaesele acknowledged Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) for their agreement with the Ministry of Basic Education to supply schools with learning tablets, saying they would create an enabling environment for both teachers and students.

Dr Tselaesele noted that schools in the Kgalagadi region had not been performing to the desired standards, and he encouraged the regional management to employ a turnaround strategy to ensure that the results in their area were improved.

He noted that Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results had been gradually improving over the past years from 45.5 per cent in 2012 to 61.5 per cent in 2017.

He said the improvement was commendable and that there was a possibility to improve the Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) and BGCSE results in the future.

He commended the Ministry of Basic Education for their new turnaround strategy that involves the introduction of early child learning programmes in schools, and he urged the regional management to tap into that opportunity for their advantage.

He also observed that JCE performance had been stagnant from 21 per cent in 2013 to 22.1 per cent in 2017 while a decline had been experience in the BGCSE results from 14.6 per cent in 2013 to 12.6 per cent in 2017.

He observed that indiscipline was a thing of the past in the region especially at Matsha College, and applauded the region and the school for their efforts to direct their focus on improving academic performance.

Dr Tselaesele also noted that resources were never sufficient and challenged secondary schools in the region to capitalise on the qualified staff to improve results.

He also called for collaborative efforts from all stakeholders as well as prudent use of available resources.

In her welcome remarks, the acting regional director, Ms Maipelo Kesenye encouraged students to take the awards as a stepping stone to academic excellence.

She said they were worried by students who excelled in one level of education but their performance dropped when they reached the higher level.

Ms Kesenye said laxity, indulgence in drugs and substance abuse and poor study ethics were the contributing factors in the decline of performance.

She also noted that the rate of drop outs in their schools was growing at an alarming rate, and she encouraged students to take their school work seriously.

 Furthermore, she praised the teaching and non-teaching staff for their commitment to their duties as well as for their selfless sacrifice to serving in a highly challenging and marginalised area.

She also commended other stakeholders for their invaluable support in assisting schools to achieve their mandate.

The excellence awards were held under the theme: Academic excellence: A foundation towards a quality citizen in the 21^st century”. ENDS