30 Jan 2014

Education director, central region,  Mrs Molebi Morolong says the decline in schools academic results has called for the implementation of a results account committee as a way of addressing the current challenge.

Mrs Morolong said the committee would analyse the results and establish means and structures aimed at improving schools’ performance.

She said this when addressing the annual school heads meeting for Boteti at Letlhakane on January 27. She stated that the 2013 PSLE results had shown a significant decline in performance in all major subjects.

She said as for Setswana, the central region schools registered 20.4 per cent pass in 2013 as compared to 30.9 per cent in 2012. As for English, the schools registered 28.5 per cent while in 2012 it was 35.6 per cent. Mathematics stood at 28.7 per cent compared to 33.3 per cent of the previous year. Science subjects recorded a 0.4 per cent improvement from 28.4 per cent of 2012 to 28.8 per cent in 2013.

The result analysis report also revealed that the central region had set a target of 76 per cent A,B,C pass in 2013 PSLE results but, managed to achieve a lower mark of 70.2 per cent.  The report revealed misinterpretation of the curriculum objectives in subjects such as CAPA and Agriculture and incompetent leadership as some of the key issues contributing to the decline in results.

Mrs Morolong said based on such challenges leading to the poor performance of schools, the trend implies that the region will not be able to attain the targets of the National Development Plan, Vision 2016 and Millennium Development Goals. She said the situation calls for the strengthening of in-service training for both teachers and management.

As for the clusters, Palapye performed better in the 2013 PSLE results with 72.16 per cent, followed by Tonota with 71.65 per cent and SELEBO (Selebi Phikwe/Bobonong) at 71.4 per cent. SERBOT (Serowe/Boteti) followed in fourth position with 70.7 per cent while Tutume managed 69.5 per cent and the lowest being Mahalapye at 63 per cent.

The Education Director has stressed that school heads have to fully understand and execute their mandated duties without failure, adding that the school results are dependent on their performance and capability to manage staff.

She said a well organised and managed school will reflect that by producing good results at the end of the year. If you are disorganised and not in love with what you are doing, that will ultimately have a negative influence in your school’s results, she said.

Boteti School Heads Cluster Chairman, Mr Meshack Sechele of Motsumi JSS in Letlhakane indicated that recurring water shortages at schools has a negative impact on the learning environment in schools with boarding facilities among them junior secondary schools at Letlhakane, Mopipi, Rakops, Mosu, Makalamabedi, Motopi and Letlhakane Senior School.

He said primary schools with hostels and even those without boarding facilities are equally hit by the water situation. “This is a serious problem for boarding schools. We run around with wheelbarrows to fetch water,” he said.

Mr Sechele said the situation calls for schools to have water bowsers to fetch water when the need arises. He also stated that there have been unnecessary delays pertaining to maintenance of schools facilities even though funds available for such projects.

He said junior secondary schools like Makgadikgadi, Mopipi, Makalamabedi and Ditsweletse are very old and need to be maintained. The Cluster Chairman said they have transport problems in their region, “we only have one combi which we all scramble for in Boteti. School heads even use their personal vehicles to attend meetings.”

Mr Talks Maleka of Mmadikola Primary School expressed his concerns about shortage of learning material. He stated that stationery, especially text books are delivered to schools very late and they are never enough. He added that it is painful to see seven Std. 7 pupils sharing a text book. ENDS