28 Jun 2021

Madiba Senior Secondary School (SSS) management and pupils have been encouraged to strive for success despite challenges.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Mahalapye West, David Tshere said this on Thursday when addressing the school management and completing pupils in Mahalapye.

Mr Tshere said he was aware that Madiba SSS had been operating without a school head and it faced challenges, hence his appeal to teachers to work hard and bring good results.

He encouraged pupils to improve their academic performance despite the challenges. He also said he wanted to create competition amongst all schools in his constituency, stating that a target higher than that of the Ministry of Basic Education would be set.

MP Tshere said the best performing teacher and pupil would be rewarded together with the most improved pupil.

Tshere also encouraged students to adhere to COVID -19 protocols, stating that prevention was better than cure. Acting school head  Mr Shadreck Keatlholetswe said his school performed very badly last year at 17 per cent pass mark. He however promised to work hard to improve the mark, adding that by the end of first term, their performance mark was 43 per cent.

He cited shortage of water and electricity as challenges facing the school.

Mr Keatlholetswe said the school staff room burned in 2014, and computers had not been replacement.

Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) Chairman, Mr Olekotse Koma applauded the MP for visiting the school.

He said for the school to perform well, there was need to engage pupils in finding problems leading to their poor performance.Madiba Student Representative Council (SRC) president, Mr Kgopolo Lentshwanetse said as students they had the potential to improve their academic performance but, were not given a chance to speak out.

He said students had no access to the internet yet they needed it to do their school work.

Mr Lentshwanetse said as the SRC president, students complained to him regularly about the school management and he had long written a letter to management, but there had not been any response. Ends