12 Nov 2023

Despite having been designed as a nine-stream school, Mmashoro Junior Secondary School currently operates as a 24-stream school.

Responding to a question in Parliament, Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Aubrey Lesaso said his ministry had already planned for the school’s expansion under NDP 12 to accommodate the increasing population. 

The expansion includes hostels for both boys and girls, 25 staff houses and 12 classrooms as well as a kitchen.

Mr Lesaso further said currently, the school has an enrolment of 708. 

There are 57 teachers, out of which 41 are permanent and pensionable and the remaining 16 are qualified temporary teachers as well as 22 non-teaching staff.

Explaining more on the school boarding facilities, he said it had the capacity to accommodate 288 boys and girls, however, currently, there are 181 boy and 266 girl borders.

He explained that shortage of teachers accommodation had led to some staff members commuting from Serowe. 

Also, he said the school was in need of cyclic maintenance since it was last maintained in the 2010/11 financial year. 

On other challenges, he said the school’s infrastructure was mapped to the former two-year junior certificate curriculum while progression to a three-year junior certificate was not accompanied by appropriate infrastructure expansion.

The Assistant Minister said the introduction of many new practical subjects, Guidance and Counselling, among others had also increased demands on the school. 

These challenges, he added, had been compounded by a general increase in enrollments, which in turn had put pressure on operation, maintenance and sewage systems in schools.

MP for Serowe West, Mr Onalepelo Kedikilwe had wanted to know what was done to address the shortage of classrooms at Mmashoro JSS since the school had grown to a 24-stream one.

He also asked the minister if he was aware of the absence of a laboratory for Science and Arts subjects, pavilion for Design and Technology, shortage of teachers’ accommodation and offices as well as the need to renovate the dilapidated school hall. ends