21 Nov 2018

There is need to collaborate with stakeholders to reduce the mismatch between education and the skills required from learners, says Assistant Minister of Basic Education Mr Thato Kwerepe.

Officially opening the 2018 national secondary school heads conference in Palapye on November 20, Mr Kwerepe said the corporate world had to be engaged in order to know and take into account what skills they required from learners.

He said collaboration provided an opportunity for dialogue and engagement between all stakeholders and also enhanced clarity of roles and commitment.

Mr Kwerepe raised concern over the current performance of schools, saying institutions were failing learners.

“We are worried by reports showing that some of our teachers and school heads are not doing much in their work. We have reports of schools which are not creating a conducive environment for learning,” he said.

He urged school heads to work hard and produce more with the little resources at their disposal.

Mr Kwerepe said the ministry would try all that was within its power “to capacitate you, guide you, coach and mentor you in your roles. Help us to be able to focus and help you appropriately.”

For his part,  conference chairperson Mr Lapologang Kolagano said there were challenges facing the schools which needed to be addressed citing lack of succession plans.

He said in the event the school head and deputy retired it was often difficult for their subordinates to take over resulting in poor management of schools. He also cited lack of continuity in the ministry saying new ministers never continued plans of their predecessors.

Mr Kolagano said the practice was a serious setback which affected learning and teaching.

He urged the ministry to capacitate school heads in order to improve their management skills and improve academic performance of their institution.

Mr Kolagano further said classes available were not enough to inculcate 21st century education adding that the curriculum did not give learners skills on problem solving.

Another speaker, Serowe Administration Authority chairperson Mr Mpho Kooreme said all stakeholders should be engaged at the planning stage.

He thanked school heads for delivering on their mandate despite the little resources at their disposal.

“You deserve a pat on the back and keep soldiering on.”

The conference, held under the theme, ‘Collaboration: A key to producing a globally competitive 21st century learner,’ aimed at empowering school managers in the promotion of stakeholder collaborative efforts and to help them to exchange ideas and strategies on managerial issues.

In addition, it was aimed at equiping school managers with skills on addressing contemporary student issues. ENDS