18 Dec 2023

Mabogo Junior Secondary School in Palapye was provided with nine classrooms and two science laboratories in the financial year 2019/2020, thereby increasing classrooms from 12 to 21 for 1 065 learners.

Answering a question in Parliament, Minister of Education and Skills Development, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe said that currently there were no pupils who were taught in the school hall or under trees.

He explained that the school was operating a shifting timetable to mitigate the issue of shortage of classrooms.

Dr Letsholathebe said his ministry had stopped providing maintenance funds for the schools, adding that secondary schools were allocated funds under minor maintenance vote to carry out minor works and preventable works although the budget was limited.

He explained that for major maintenance, schools were assisted by the regional office as budgets permit and explained that the current ongoing senior secondary school maintenance was executed in work packages of academic, kitchen and dining, students and teachers’ residences.

The minister stated that 89 staff houses at Lotsane Senior Secondary School had been completed during the financial year 2021/2022.

He said a works contract for the pupils’ hostels was proposed for implementation during the year 2023/2024.

He said it was expected that the remaining work packages of academic and all learning resources including kitchen and dining would be maintained during the financial year 2024/2025.

Dr Letsholathebe explained that Mabogo Junior Secondary School was maintained in 2019, whilst Palapye Junior Secondary School was maintained in 2016.

The Minister further informed Parliament that staff accommodation in the two schools was augmented with 31 Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) houses bought and shared amongst local schools in the past 10 years.

He said Lobatse Senior Secondary School was allocated 14 houses, Mabogo Junior Secondary School five houses, while Palapye and Mmaphula junior secondary schools were given six houses each.

Dr Letsholathebe said Palapye, Mmaphula and Mabogo junior secondary schools were expanded in 2019/2020 to include additional classrooms.

He said Mabogo Junior Secondary School was allocated nine classrooms and two laboratories, Mmaphula received six classrooms and a laboratory in 2021/2020 and six porta cabin classrooms in 2022 while Palapye Junior Secondary School received six classrooms and one laboratory and further received four porta cabin classrooms in 2022.

The minister further informed Parliament that 73 houses had been purchased from BHC since 2007 and allocated to various schools in Palapye and surrounding areas.

The Member of Parliament for Palapye, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi had asked the minister of education to explain why Mabogo Junior Secondary School was not considered for building a classroom block while it was highly populated and why the ministry had stopped sending maintenance money directly to schools. ENDS