08 Feb 2022

After 10 years of poor academic performance, Selebi Phikwe-based Lebogang JSS has finally turned a corner.
The 2021 Junior Certificate Examinations (JCE) results saw the school joining its town mates that consistently perform outstandingly.

Lebogang JSS school head, Mr Stephen Timela cited commitment, determination and hard work displayed by teachers and learners as the formula that saw the school improving from 38.7 per cent in 2020, to 65.6 per cent in 2021, thus earning a place in the top 10. The school’s highest pass rate was in 2012 at 63 per cent.
“We worked hard to attain this mark, it was not easy, but we did it,” beamed Mr Timela.

He said scooping the eighth position did not come as a surprise as the school worked the ground first by instilling a sense of discipline amongst learners and ensured that teaching and learning was not disrupted in any way.He said the school had set itself a 60 per cent target across all subjects and mobilised teachers and pupils to work together towards achieving it.
To achieve this target, he said the school devised strategies such as introducing weekend studies and extended study hours, during the week.

Mr Timela explained that pupils no longer had ample time to play as most of their time was devoted to learning, which prevented them from engaging in things that could derail them.
He said the Saturday study and group discussions encouraged learners to help one another and brought teachers closer to learners.He said parents were very supportive of the initiatives and always ensured that their children attended without fail.

Mr Timela said the school management also played a significant role by ensuring that nothing disrupted teaching and learning and closely monitored what was going on in classes.
He said teaching and learning was the core business of schools and if left unattended, pupils easily lose focus as such ‘we intensified supervision and worked together as a team’.
The school also abolished shifting, which was introduced to promote social distancing in classes, by demarcating the hall and the pavilion to create more classrooms to accommodate all pupils.

Even though the school suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a times teachers and pupils were placed on isolation, but the learners managed to excel and achieve good results.
Mr Timela further explained that two weeks before the examination, pupils attended a boot camp meant to assist them where they had challenges and encouraged intensive studying.Chief Education Officer for Selebi Phikwe, Mr Tshwarelo Hosia revealed that the regional office also took the initiative to visit schools that struggled academically to appreciate their challenges and achievements.
He said the region then encouraged such schools to intensify supervision, adding that where there was less supervision pupils tended to perform badly.

He said school heads had the duty to set the right tone and encourage learners, teachers and non-teaching staff to achieve the set target, which Lebogang JSS managed to do and improved its academic results.

He said though the schools in the region did well, more needed to be done to improve the results and getting all schools on the national top 10 list. ENDS