Africa-Press – Botswana. Orange Foundation has donated digital equipment to Lekgolobotlo Primary School in an effort to inspire and propel the school to greater heights.
The donation includes 50 tablets, two servers loaded with the primary school syllabus, one laptop, one projector with a screen, eight multi- socket chargers, 50 headsets and five power banks.
Giving keynote address at the handing over ceremony in Lekgolobotlo on Friday, Member of Parliament for Moshupa/Manyana constituency, Mr Karabo Gare said the donations were aligned with the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan and the 1994 Revised National Policy on Education which aimed at creating an enabling teaching and learning environment.
“We are appreciative of Orange Botswana’s positive response to government’s commitment to the Reset and Reclaim Agenda priority of Digitization,” he added.
He said the event marked a remarkable occasion as the school received the donation at the time when they celebrated 84.2 per cent in the PSLE results.
Mr Gare, who is also the minister of Entrepreneurship thanked teachers and students for their tireless efforts to equal government’s commitment to providing a conducive teaching and learning environment with exceptional performance to secure a good future.
“I therefore, encourage you to maintain this momentum and even exceed our expectation, especially that Orange Botswana Foundation is handing over the Digital School Project,” he said.
Orange Botswana’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms Nene Maiga highlighted that Lekgolobotlo was the 77th primary school to receive the digital school kit donation from Orange Foundation.
“This digital school kit helps students to advance greatly in their studies and it will definitely make a difference in this school,” she said.
Digital literacy, she said had become a fundamental skill that empowered individuals to navigate, contribute and thrive in an increasingly interconnected and technologically advanced world.
She, however, highlighted that there was digital divide in Botswana, adding that it was a social and environmental issue that perpetuated economic and social inequality, hindering job opportunities for young people.
“The absence of digital resources worsen economic disparities creating a divide between those who have access to information and those who do not. The aim is to see a future where disparities become a thing of the past, through digital skills shared with all young people across the country”, she said.
She said with their digital school programme, they wanted to bridge the gap and provide equal opportunities for all students, enabling them to thrive in the digital age.
Ms Maiga explained that their aim was to create a dynamic learning environment that fostered growth, innovation and progress, while simultaneously working towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.
The South Region Operations director in the ministry of Education and Skills Development, Mr Acronews Maseko applauded Orange Foundation for their effort to partner with government.
Mr Maseko underscored that digital platforms were imperative in making the curriculum practical, concrete and exciting to learners across subject spectrum.
He said the government had therefore, committed itself by providing an enabling environment, in terms of fibre network connectivity and issuance of laptops to both learners and teachers.
Further, Mr Maseko said that government believed stakeholders were equally important as educators in bringing about well-rounded 21st century learners, who could compete globally.
The use of Information Communication Technology (ICT), he said enhanced Botswana’s ability to have a significant role in the global economy, noting it was for this reason that ICT was not a luxury but a necessity for both local and international development.
He said the gadgets would enable learners to assist parents and communities with the acquisition of government initiatives for development.
For his part, Moshupa District Council Chairman, Mr Sonny thanked students and teachers for the hard work, and urged them to continue working hard so that they eventually surpass the 84.2 per cent pass rate registered in the 2023 PSLE. He advised parents to work closely with teachers and other stakeholders to further improve school results.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
