08 Oct 2018

Permanent secretary to the President, Mr Cater Morupisi says there is a need to re-orient the education system towards a more learner-centered approach with the teacher coming in as a facilitator of the learning process.

He said this helps the learners with self-discovery and it sustains students’ appreciation of constructing knowledge socially and as a collective than perceiving knowledge as something that should come from one source.

Mr Morupisi said this while giving a keynote address at a prize giving ceremony at Gosemama Junior Secondary School at Goo-Tau.

“Today’s education is built upon the notion of learner empowerment as espoused by the Ministy of Basic Education’s five year Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP), which outlines quality education, access and equity, life skills, multiple pathways and Outcome Based Education among others as priority areas,” he said.

He indicated that such move empowers learners to demonstrate knowledge, skills and competencies, which are in line with the 21^st century thereby fitting well with the global village.

“Let me acknowledge the fact that the school scored 44 per cent Merit, A, B, C grades, (MABC) during the 2017 JCE. During the 2018 midyear examinations form One’s scored 37.7 per cent MABC, Form 2’s scored 16 per cent, while form 3’s scored 21.40 per cent MABC,” he said.

He however noted that although he was rewarding performance, the results did not show a good picture for the school and advised that there is need to put in place, new strategies to turn around the declining trend scenario of the school’s academic results.

“To the leadership of the school, teaching staff, support staff, Parents Teachers Association, parents and community of Goo-Tau, we have more work to restore public confidence in our school performance,” he said.

Mr Morupisi, now patron of Gosemama JSS, noted that he believed that the school was ready to perform given the fact that upon agreeing to the adoption of the school, he agreed with the school management on a number of things that can transform the school.

He therefore congratulated the recipients of prizes for their invaluable efforts in making the day possible and urged those who did not make it to receive any prizes to double their efforts.

“I can only caution them that the road to academic success is never an easy path to walk since it is characterised by hurdles that needed to be overcome through continual improvement,” he said.

The event was held under the theme; Stakeholder Engagement; A Atrategy in Pursuit of Excellent Learners Performance in the 21^st Century.

Mr Morupisi said the theme was relevant, as it was precisely coined to demonstrate the need for modern education, to focus on the learner and engaging stakeholders in order to achieve academic excellence.

“You have to aspire to build a new culture of excellence that is dependent upon good work ethics in order to realise your dreams.

Dreaming big is not about mere dreaming without actualising the dream,” he said.

For her part, the School-head, Ms Tebogo Mack, indicated that in 2014 the school performed at 37 per cent, MABC, attaining some improvements in 2015 at 51.7 per cent MABC, slowly declining in 2017, as it recorded a 44 per cent MABC at JCE results.

She however indicated that although the school was not doing exceptionally well as they had expected, they were striving for better results.

She also noted that they had over the year managed to achieve their results through team work, dedication, determination and stakeholder participation. ENDs