05 Aug 2019

 Deputy permanent secretary in the Office of the Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Mr Ernest Phiri says it takes joint efforts by parents, teachers and the community to raise a top achieving learner.

Officiating at Mapoka Primary School prize giving ceremony recently, Mr Phiri commended the school for attaining 96.4 per cent in the 2018 PSLE exams, stating that he believed it was because of joint effort.

He said it took a community to raise a child hence it should not only be the child’s parents who only contributed to the learner’s education.

Mr Phiri stated that the theme; Stakeholder Participation Key to Academic Performance, was fitting because academic excellence could only be achieved through partnerships of all stakeholders.

He stated that Mapoka Primary school was one of the schools that had been excelling for over a 100 years, having produced great minds that contributed to building Botswana.

He said it was important to celebrate learners’ performance by rewarding them on such days like prize giving ceremonies.

The deputy permanent secretary relayed a message sent by the PSP, Mr Carter Morupisi applauding the school for its achievement in building future leaders who would become economy builders.

Mr Phiri said Mapoka Primary school had outdone itself last year, by beating the 2017 mark of 79 per cent and 80 per cent in 2016.

Moreover, he highlighted that children were gifted differently, some academically while some possessed other talents therefore he encouraged teachers to treat learners equally.

He said learners who were limited academically but excelled in sport and other talents needed to be nurtured because their talents could take them to greater heights in future.

The school head, Mr Joseph Nokaneng appreciated the contributions from the parents and the community, saying the good results would not be possible if teachers did that alone. He reiterated that children were raised by the community for the community and ultimately for the nation.

Mr Nokaneng pointed out that as a school they had  set a target that every class should achieve nothing below 90 per cent, which he said they almost attained because only three classes in the school did below 90 per cent.

He expressed gratitude to the school sponsors, Dzikamani Nganunu’s family whom he said had been sponsoring the prize giving ceremony for four years, and had contributed P13 000 towards gifts this year.

He said the school was proud of their pupils who performed well in sport, citing Samuel Majaye in Chess, Doris Ncube and Amantle Bantle in athletics.

The school alumni chairperson, Ms Wananani Gunda said government could not do it alone but needed the community to assist.

She said as the class of 1978/79 they responded to the call to assist the school by buying gifts for the learners who did well.

Ms Gunda called on the learners to be devoted to their education and maintain the good results even at secondary school level.

To the standard seven class of 2019, she said they should be motivated by the predecessors performance and aim above the 96.4 per cent. ENDS