23 May 2021

Some people are naturally born intelligent while some work hard to become to achieve academic success.

Some believe that a gene from a smart parent may help someone born with intelligence, some believe that everyone is born with some type of intellectual ability more than others while some develop overtime.

For the 56-year-old, Mr Zan Ngaruka, some people are born naturally intelligent but still needed to develop their intelligence and capability with studying.

Mr Ngaruka is a father to Ngeepetjike Ngaruka, a Tsodilo Junior Secondary School pupil who made waves across the country by shinning in the 2020 Junior Certificate Examination (JC) .

The young boy made the entire Ngamiland region and his parents proud by his exceptional pass rate as he attained merit making him the best Form Three pupil in the entire country.

Mr Ngaruka, the father of three (two sons and a daughter), who are all academically successful, revealed in an interview that he was not surprised by his last born’s son results because he saw it coming.

“Even though I did not expect merit but I knew he will pass with flying colours just like his siblings and I believe this is genetically driven. My children inherited my level trying to know everything, I don’t want to say intellect,” Mr Ngaraka said with a smile.

His first-born son and daughter attained As in their school journey and proceeded to tertiary level while the last born is doing his Form 4 at Mater Spei in Francistown and he is optimistic that he would end at tertiary level.

Mr Ngaruka who is a deputy principal at Maun Technical College attributed his children’s success to positive parenting and good environment which he said had a greater role to play in boosting intelligence.

He compared his children’ success to a garden saying for it to thrive, one has to nourish it and ‘that is what positive parenting is all about’.

Parents, he said had to understand the balance of where to place boundaries, where to encourage and where to discourage their children not to get spoiled. Discipline was necessary in every households as its goal is to help children choose acceptable behaviours and learn self-control.

Mr Ngaruka attested that positive parenting techniques worked well for raising children with discipline and good moral values adding that although parenting is not an easy task but he managed because there is nothing more pleasing to a parent than to receive compliments for having well- behaved and intelligent children.

He described his children as a symbol of success as they never disappointed him in their studies noting that they followed his footsteps as he never failed his parents during his schooling.

His parents’ dream, he said was to see him having a successful life. “My parents were not educated but they believed in education and played their part to ensure I become a symbol of success and I am happy that my children inherited that,” he added.

The proud father stated that he had never set house rules but he let his children to do things independently and thus made them capable and strong.

However, children success in school, he said was dependent upon a wide variety of factors citing a conducive environment where children are provided with basic needs such as good shelter with necessities like electricity and water as well as full uniforms.

In addition, Mr Ngaruka stated that the vast majority of things that help to create educational success are within the power of every parent citing their involvement in children’s studies such as checking their books and encouraging them to concentrate on their studies.

The Ngaruka family are pastoralists and as such they frequently go to the cattle posts on weekends and vacations but, Mr Ngaruka said they normally leave behind the children to give them more time to focus on their studies.

Spending quality time with children and creating open communication, he said were some of the recipes he practiced noting that together with his wife, they do their best to be available when their children express desires to talk or participate in family activities.

Mr Ngaruka lamented that he could not remember a single day reprimanding his children for delinquency because they were well mannered. Even in their studies, he said he assisted them on request because they were self-regulated and knew the importance of education in their lives.

He appealed to parents to play their part in their children’s education adding that lack of parental involvement is the largest issue facing public schools today.

Mr Ngaruka is of the view that parents could influence their children education success from being engaged in their learning at every step of their academic journey such as promoting the values of hard work and perseverance.

Lastly, Mr Ngaruka stated that there was no life without education and appealed to learners out there to take their studies seriously in order to have a bright future. ENDS