30 Mar 2023

Poor academic performance has become such a concern for education authorities here that they have had to call the first ever sub region’s Education Pitso. 

The Tuesday meeting, held under the theme: Stakeholder Participation-Key to Learner Access and Quality Academic Performance provided a platform for the sub region to share with the district leadership, the community and all important stakeholders the academic results, school enrolment and drop out status among others, as well as to get feedback from stakeholders on how to improve learner and schools’ performance. 

Speaking at the pitso, Palapye Sub region chief education officer, Ms Didimalang Mmemo said lately the region was experiencing declining results, low transition rates from junior to senior school and high dropout rates. 

The sub region, she said, served five constituencies being Palapye, Lerala-Maunatala, Mmadinare, Serowe South and Serowe North, with a consolidated enrolment of 28 080 leaners. 

Regarding the transition rate and trend in academic performance, Ms Mmemo said of the 2 182 candidates who set their junior certificate examinations in 2021, only 1 200 were admitted to Form 4, a transition rate of only 55 per cent. 

She said the following year, 2 330 candidates sat the examination and only 1 358 proceeded to senior school, representing a transition rate of 58.3 per cent. 

As for BGCSE, she said, the region had set itself a 40 per cent target for it candidates who attained 6Cs or better. 

From the years 2017 to 2022 respectively, the sub region only managed to attain 23.9 percent. as its highest score. That was in 2019. 

The lowest was last year at 18 percent. 

“From the declining academic performance there is something we need to change as the reset agenda advocate, we therefore need feedback from the stakeholders on what to change, what we should continue doing and what we should stop,” she said. 

She however, noted that even though the region was experiencing a decline in academic performance, there were some schools that were doing well, citing Moeng Primary School and Manaledi Primary School which both performed at 100 per cent ABC pass rate. 

For his part, Botswana International University of Science and Technology Vice Chancellor, Professor Otlogetswe Totolo said the Ministry of Education and Skills Development had opened its doors to stakeholders to help drive academic excellence through Adopt-A-School initiative and other forms of partnerships. 

He commended Palapye sub region for staging the Education Pitso. “I can only appreciate that together as we reset, rethink and refocus, we can strengthen our education system and take it to greater heights of excellence,” he said. Professor Totolo emphasised that partnership through networking was crucial to attaining quality education that was accessible to all. 

Regarding indiscipline in schools, MP for Palapye, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi encouraged schools to revive clubs such as Scripture Union as they had a great impact in moulding children’s behaviour. 

Still on the issue of discipline, Kgosi Martha Lebang of Palapye encouraged parents to portray good conduct around children at home. She said children had the tendency to emulate parents, citing the use of drugs and alcohol. Ends