09 Jun 2019

Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Mr Thapelo Olopeng has pledged P10 000 and a beast towards the 10th anniversary of Foley’s Itireleng Primary School scheduled for August.

Mr Olopeng, who is also MP for Tonota, made the pledge after a 20km sponsored walk organised to raise funds for the occasion.

He also promised to buy solar lights for the 28 Standard Seven pupils who will be sitting for the Primary School Leaving Examinations at the end of the year.

Mr Olopeng explained that the lights would be used by the pupils to study at home, to enable the school to meet this year’s regional target of 85 per cent pass rate. Botswana Democratic Party prospective council candidate for Tonota South East, Mr Baemedi Medupi also promised to donate P500.

The school was built in 2009 through self-reliance and community service and was later taken over by government.
Its enrolment stands at 242, 40 being pre-school pupils.

Mr Olopeng, who was the chief walker, appealed to participants to raise funds for the event to be a success.

He thanked Foley residents for reviving the spirit of self-reliance, saying such was welcomed by government. Government, he said, wanted to move the country from being resource based to being a knowledge based economy, therefore education was key in this transformation, hence the need to invest heavily in the sector.

In her welcome remarks, the school head, Ms Caroline Tsopane hailed government for introducing breakfast at pre and primary schools.

The development was a response to the 2013 recommendation of aligning the primary school menu with that provided at secondary schools.

She said since the development, there was no truancy or late coming by pupils.

Government appointed a task team to come up with a menu that provides nutrients to promote optimal health, growth and development as well as prevent nutritional deficiencies. The menu is also meant to support the poverty eradication initiative and home-grown feeding initiatives.

It is also meant to economically empower and capacitate Batswana through promoting micro and small scale entrepreneurship. ENDS