06 Dec 2021

If Botswana is to achieve its goal of attaining high income status, noone should be left behind as far as ICT is concerned, says Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology Dr Douglas Letsholathebe.

He said this during a donation of digital gadgets by Orange Botswana to Mowana Primary School in Mowana, near Tshesebe, recently.

Dr Letsholathebe said ICT gadgets were paramount for 21st century leaners as they could be used as educational platforms for interactive learning with peers across the globe.

He urged the Mowana community to use Internet and ICT to their advantage such as in marketing products overseas where they could fetch better prices.

The school’s deputy head, Ms Zibilani Kombani said the institution had been doing well and was hopeful results would improve further with the Orange Botswana donation.

Tshesebe councillor, Mr Smarts Mathonsi applauded the company for partnering with government in the education of children.

He said the school was lucky to be the recipient of such valuable and important gadgets.

Mr Mathonsi promised that the leadership would ensure  pupils  utilised the gadgets fully.

He urged the school management to provide security for the gadgets and make sure all learners benefitted from them.

Orange Botswana sales business partner, Mr Tshepo Sentle said Mowana Primary School was the 45th  beneficiary of its ICT assistance programme which commenced in 2014.

He said the gadgets were highly interactive, fun and were good teaching aids with better turnaround in academic performance.

The donation comprised 50 tablets, 50 headsets, two servers (one connects 25 tablets), one projector, one projector screen, one power bank, a speaker and sanitizers.

Ministry of Basic Education northern regional director, Mr Labane Mokgosi said since schools started using ICT gadgets, academic performance  had improved drastically.

He said the gadgets  would also lessen the rigors of having to print many papers for each pupil from time to time.BOPA