Africa-Press – Botswana. The Ministry of Education and Skills Development has procured 297 new vehicles worth more than P150 million and a wide array of equipment and furniture worth more than P28.1 million to be used by ministry departments and public schools.
Unveiling the first consignment of 35 vehicles, during a press conference, yesterday, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development assistant minister, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja said the procured items were meant to improve service delivery and enhance teachers’ efficiency in delivering the curriculum.
“My ministry did not just procure vehicles, but rather a wide array of furniture and equipment which will also go a long way in improving teaching and learning in the classroom,” she explained.
Ms Makwinja said the remaining consignments of vehicles,were expected to arrive in batches in the next two to three months. The vehicles, which are of different categories, she said would be distributed to various ministry departments and public schools across the country.
Ms Makwinja said other procured items included 1 785 bunk beds worth more than P5 million, 40 279 student chairs worth more than P3.7 million, 19 300 student desks worth more than P9.2 million, 2 180 laboratory stools worth more than P1.6 million, 5 880 mattresses worth more than P4.9 million, 1 480 executive chairs and swivel chairs and 6 200 printing papers worth more than P696 000.
“This marks our unfolding success story, as we are very intentional as a ministry to rigorously address most, if not all, of problems faced by our public primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions,” she said.
“We are deliberate in enforcing a culture of mindset change in our ministry and schools to improve the status of our public schools and to show our commitment in its totality to the education of this country,” said Ms Makwinja.
Ms Makwinja acknowledged that the ministry was aware of challenges faced by teachers and learners in all public schools and was committed to ensuring that there were mitigations in place to address them. Additionally, she said the ministry had already started addressing problem of shortage of desks and laboratory stools and equipment, adding that the intention was to source more.
Ms Makwinja said achievement of the country’s aspiration of becoming a knowledge based economy depended on the Ministry of Education and Skills Development by ensuring that both teachers and learners were well taken care of.
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