25 Nov 2019

Dutlwe Primary School celebrated its victory for excelling in the 2018 Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) with a 93.6 per cent pass rate, beating their counterparts in the Letlhakeng sub-region and Kweneng region as a whole.

Speaking during a victory party celebration on November 22, at Dutlwe, a principal architect at the South East District Council, Mr Otsesitswe Semarite said excellence in education remained a pivotal element in life for the liberation of many people.

He said the love for education was one of the best presents parents could give to their children as a heritage that lights the path of life and which no one could snatch from them.

Mr Semarite said he was happy to be among them as he also originates from the village where he enjoyed the support of his parents as they understood the value of education.

He further said the overwhelming support that the parents gave to their children to lend a helping hand in their education gave them an urge to do their best.

He added that those who were now doing Form One at Mahupu Unified Secondary School were the future leaders and needed a strong foundation in education.

Mr Semarite advised them to be self-disciplined and make time for their studies as that was the motto he lived by during his school days, that is why he passed with flying colours.

He commended the team work that existed between parents and teachers through the Parent Teachers Association, which he said solidified and gave hope for greater things to come.

The commitment that existed, he said, would help them to achieve every goal they set for themselves, more so that the school had set a high standard of excellence in the Kweneng District.

He further said as the world went digital in information technology, there was need for pupils to be abreast with the digital world and use it for their studies.

“Digital information can be used to improve excellence. Students can be engaged to utilise the information in the digital platform that can help them improve their academic performance,” he said.

Mr Semarite also pledged to donate full school uniform to five under-privileged pupils identified through the help of school and the village development committee.

Giving an overview of the school, Mr Tebogo Nalesha said Dutlwe primary was a two-streamed school with 400 pupils and 18 teachers.

He said through teamwork and commitment it was possible to earn the high marks. He said he was grateful to be leading dedicated teachers who worked hard despite the challenges.

Mr Nalesha said they needed five more classrooms and had only eight teachers houses, which shortage led to sharing of the few houses available. He also asked for the provision of ablutions.

The school head further said despite those challenges they continued to be the school of excellence as their theme Journey to Academic Excellence Continues states. 

Mr Nalesha added that between 2015 and 2018, they had been leading their sub-region in academic performance, noting that in 2016 they got 100 per cent and were among the top 10 schools in Botswana.

One of the sponsors, Mr Benny Rankgate, who is also a motivational speaker, implored the pupils to continue dreaming.

He said they should never undermine themselves.

Mr Rankgate promised to continue supporting the school with P10 000 even next year.

The former Member of Parliament for Takatokwane, Mr Ngaka Ngaka, who sponsored the sub-region with a roving trophy, gave the school a trophy and P1 000.

He said he was hopeful that the school would retain the trophy for the next three years.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Martin Puleng said he was happy that the school had been excelling despite the challenges.

He said during his visit, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi promised to build them a classroom and an administration block, adding that they were still waiting for such facilities. ends