05 Sep 2013

The Minister of Education and Skills Development Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi has expressed concern about student’s wayward behaviour and called on parents to instil discipline in their children.

Dr Venson-Moitoi said this at kgotla meetings she addressed in Bobonong and Tsetsebye on September 2. She said aggressive children and those who misbehaved after taking drugs and alcohol should be reined in by families together with teachers.

Sadly, many parents had left that responsibility to teachers alone, such that teachers not only taught, but had become guardians and social workers for the children. Dr Venson-Moitoi said families should lead by example and castigated parents who abused their children and spent hours drinking alcohol as that led to poor results and created wayward behaviour among children.

The minister called on parents to work with teachers and called for active Parents/Teachers Associations. She said it was wrong for parents to only approach teachers to scold them or complain.  

Dr Venson-Moitoi said her ministry would continue to improve the working conditions. She said her ministry was concerned with quality of education and had thus introduced orientation for standard ones pupils. With effect from this year, all pupils who fail their standard four and seven examinations will repeat and only graduate to the next level after passing, she added.

The ministry has also introduced facilities such as photocopiers and other necessary teaching materials to enhance learning at schools, she said. 

As for the University of Botswana,  the minister said students who disrupted classes would be expelled from the institution and pleaded with parents to remind their children to take education seriously. 

Bononong Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr Boitumelo Kgosietsile expressed concern over teachers’ welfare especially shortage of accommodation. He said 35 per cent of teachers were forced to rent houses far from work places, which affected productivity.

Mr Kgosietsile also complained that the stationery and consumables’ budget was low as the Bobirwa Sub-council was allocated P1 million instead of the required P6 million. 

He also expressed concern over shortage of teachers in schools, saying it was caused by failure by authorities to replace teachers who went for further studies. 

In Tsetsebye, VDC chairperson, Mr Moshopha Keipidile also complained about shortage of accommodation for teachers. Parents who spoke accepted the blame for their failure to participate in the education of their children, and leaving the burden to teachers, but promised to start working with teachers.  ENDS