Africa-Press – Botswana. Stakeholders have been urged to support and motivate learners to create and sustain a culture of academic excellence in schools.
The plea was made at a ceremony to appreciate top achievers from seven schools in Khoemacau Copper Mine’s area of operation.
The mine’s executive director, Mr Boikobo Paya said education was key and challenged all stakeholders in the education sector to ensure schools produced excellent results.
Mr Paya said learners could acquire quality education if all stakeholders played their role.
“To groom well-disciplined children is not the parents’ role alone but it requires the whole community,” he added. He called on traditional leaders, Village Development Committees and other structures within villages to come on board to raise children who will not only value education, but be respectful.
Mr Paya said Khoemacau mine was part of the community, hence the excellence awards initiative, to invest in education and encourage competition amongst the seven schools.
Since the inception of the initiative, the mine had, in collaboration with BoFInet, connected WiFi at Komana and donated a classroom block and furniture to Legotlhwane primary schools.
Furthermore, Mr Paya said the mine leadership recently met with school heads, teachers and education principals to discuss the root causes of unsatisfactory results and map a way forward. He commended the 19 top achievers for a sterling job and encouraged them to maintain or better the standard in future as the country needed citizens with advanced skills and expertise to push the economy to greater heights.
Leungo Petros from Sehithwa Primary School emerged the best overall learner in primary category with seven As, two Bs and he walked away with an IPad and a certificate of appreciation, while Oabona Gaenyatswe of Ngami Junior Secondary School was the top achiever in the junior secondary category and she got similar prizes.
Sehithwa Primary School was the best overall school having attained 75.4 per cent overall pass in the 2022 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and retained the floating trophy, while Komana Primary was awarded for the most improved school.
Chief education officer, Mr Brown Sethapelo thanked Khoemacau for its dedication, noting that the initiative was a welcome development as it augmented government efforts.
Mr Sethapelo revealed that the initiative was in-line with the, Adopt a school programme, intended to facilitate private sector and community participation in the delivery of quality education and realisation of ideals of Vision 2036.
He said the initiative would encourage competition among schools and motivate teachers and learners. He called on the mine leadership to consider extending it to other schools in the region. The event was held under the theme: Achieving Excellence Through Stakeholder Participation Towards Building a Knowledge Based Economy”.
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