26 Mar 2024

The Broadcasters Organisation (TBO) has been commended for their school programme dubbed Destiny Shapers, which nurtures and sharpens young learners’ skills for them to be globally competitive.

Through the programme, no learner is marginalised, as both academically gifted learners and those with learning challenges are given equal opportunities.

Kanye branch First National Bank (FNB) manager, Mr Benni Dikobe said thus during the South region education office in partnership with TBO summit aimed at developing globally competitive learners.

The event, themed; Creating a New Agenda to Accelerate Teaching and Learning, congregated learners from 21 primary schools in the region, to compete on various activities such as public speaking, television presentation, quiz, spelling bee, research and essay writing.

Mr Dikobe said Destiny Shapers said since no learner should be marginalised, special and mainstream classes competed on different levels.

The FNB Kanye branch manager highlighted that TBO developed a programme called 24/7, designed to cater for learners who were not academically gifted.

“Its mandate is to develop learners’ vocational skills such as farming, rabbit keeping, poultry keeping and rearing of goats,” he added.

This, he said aligned with the government’s initiative of ensuring that Batswana produced their own food and promoted local empowerment.

Mr Dikobe said Project 24/7 life skills helped leaners to be creative, develop problem solving skills and built the spirit of entrepreneurship.

He said such programmes as these were aligned to the Mindset Change drive, to pave a way for a brighter future for pupils and all citizens of Botswana.

TBO director, Mr Layani Elias said their aim was to develop students who would be globally competitive, through different programmes such as public speaking.

“We intend to develop confident learners, who would eventually improve school examination results,” he added.

Mr Elias further said their programmes developed effective communicators, with sharpened skills, noting that one of their products was a Botswana learner who was now UNICEF children’s ambassador, representing Botswana learners.

He also highlighted that they had programmes aimed at empowering teachers to effectively deliver on their mandate, such as refresher courses.

Mookami Junior Secondary School head, Ms Baratang Bokete explained that TBO programmes boosted their students’ confidence and exposed them to various skills and eventually improved examination results.

This, she said, was in line with the country’s Mindset Change initiative, hence her plea to other schools to join.

The winners in various competitions will represent the region at the national competitions slated for June. Ends