19 Nov 2019

 It is almost a norm that better academic performance is associated with and expected at schools in urban centres.

Kajaja Primary School in the Okavango Sub-district has however defied such thinking by becoming one of the best performing schools in the country.

Opened in 2014, the school started with 42 children, but the numbers continued to increase and enrolment at the school curretly stands at 148 children.

Speaking in an interview, school head, Mr Keneilwe Banks said determination and hard work by both teachers and pupils made the school excel in academics.

He said last year, 20 pupils sat for their Primary School Leaving Examination at Kajaja. Nine  attained grade A, seven grade B, while only four got a C.

“This year I am also expecting a 100 per cent pass rate for PSLE. We have been monitoring the pupil’s performance throughout the year and they have been doing good,” said Mr Banks.

The school head also noted that one of the factors that made Kajaja excel in academic performance was the strict use of the English language at the school, from standard one to standard seven.

Deputy school head, Mr Obonye Bosekilwe said the school was also doing well in Mathematics and Science.

He said the school had strategies in place to maintain the standard of performance and such include doing spelling rehearsal before lessons every morning from Monday to Thursday.

“This helps a lot because you find that there are less spelling mistakes in children’s compositions. We also have a spelling bee club, where we identify pupils with learning difficulties and help them to practice every Wednesday,” he said.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, FNB Maun branch staff, through the bank’s corporate social investment arm, FNBB Foundation refurbished Kajaja primary school kitchen.

The kitchen has been fitted with gas stoves, cabinets and water connection among others.

FNB also on that day conducted a spelling bee competition at the school for standard 3, 4, 5 and 6, where winners were given certificates and school bags. Ends