10 Feb 2019

Ministry of Basic Education is at an advanced stage of providing maintenance and additional structures appropriate for Itekeng Junior Secondary School enrolments and existing streams during the next financial year.

This was said by the Minister of Basic Education, Mr Bagalatia Arone in response to a question from Ghanzi North MP, Mr Noah Salakae.

Minister Arone said Itekeng school enrolment of 1 044 pupils, which was more than 27 streams, had over stretched the existing facilities and exacerbated the current state of classroom dilapidation.

The school is an 18-stream school, he added.

In addition, he told Parliament that he was aware of the dilapidated state of classrooms at the school, which were last maintained during the cyclic maintenance project of 2013/2014.

Mr Arone highlighted that there were two toilets at Itekeng, one for female and one for male teachers, which was inadequate for the staff.

However, he stated that commensurate with the growth of the school, the ministry would provide additional facilities during the next financial year.

Ghanzi North legislator had asked if there were plans to renovate classrooms at Itekeng Junior Secondary School, which were in a dilapidated state.

He also wanted to know how much was planned for renovation and whether the minister was aware that there was one toilet at the school for over 100 teaching staff members.

MP Salakae further asked the minister what would be done to address the situation.

Responding to another question from MP for Gaborone North, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa, the minister explained that Motswedi Junior Secondary School in Gaborone recently received a consignment of 25 computers and a computer laboratory s well as a consignment of six computers, scanner, UPS, a projector and a printers for the administration block in December last year.

Mr Arone stated that his ministry had an on-going development project to provide ICT equipment in schools to enhance teaching and learning.

“My ministry plans to upgrade local area network with both wired and wireless cabling in various secondary schools. Motswedi Junior Secondary School will also benefit from this project,” he said.

He said the tender for the programme was at an evaluation stage for implementation during 2019/2020 financial year.

MP Nkaigwa had asked what was being done to provide computers at Motswedi Junior Secondary School library in the Gaborone North Constituency.

He wanted the minister to state how many schools were expected to operate without computers and if there were plans to connect internet services at the school to improve pupil performance.

Meanwhile, Minister Arone informed legislators that his ministry was aware of the acute shortage of classroom space at secondary level in the Ghanzi township.

“Unfortunately there are no new schools planned for construction under the NDP 11, but my ministry will submit proposals for the new school in the Ghanzi township at Mid-Term Review of NDP 11 later this year,” he said.

He was responding to questions asked by MP Salakae, who wanted the minister to update Parliament as to when a second junior secondary school would be built in the Ghanzi township as it has long been promised. ENDS