03 Dec 2023

Child neglect has been raised as a serious concern in Maposa in the Nata/Gweta constituency.

Briefing First Lady Neo Masisi on her visit to the village, Maposa Primary School hostel matron, Ms Okgalemile Dithabano decried  truancy among learners, which she ascribed to a prevalent tendency of child neglect. 

She indicated that some children lived on their own from a young age while their parents were on an alcohol drinking spree.

She said the many cases of defilement that many learners experienced could be partly attributed to the behaviour of their parents. She stated that there were instances where the school had to intervene by taking some pupils from their homes to have them housed in the hostel because of sexual abuse at home.

The school head, Ms Neo Tafa noted that the school was struggling financially mainly due to parents’ lack of participation in school activities. 

She said while other schools made fundraising activities through Parents and Teachers Associations (PTA), that was not the case in her school. 

She explained that due to the socio-economic conditions, most parents depended on Ipelegeng for income.

She appealed to the First Lady to find a benefactor to adopt the school, which has an impressive academic record despite its challenges. 

In response, the First Lady promised to find someone or an entity to adopt the school by next January.

She said that she had realised that communities across the country experienced similar challenges of truancy and poverty among families. She reiterated her commitment to ensuring that these issues are addressed.

Ms Masisi said she often interacted with learners to get their views on development issues and the changes they wished to see in order to bring positive impact on their lives as young people. Ends