Africa-Press – Botswana. Kgosi Merapelo Tshweneyagae has congratulated Lehutshelo Junior Secondary School in Hukuntsi for its good performance in the 2024 Junior Certificate Examinations (JCE) which were released last week.
Kgosi Tshweneyagae expressed the sentiments during a kgotla meeting where the school in collaboration with the village leadership and the community held a celebration. Lehutshelo JSS for the first time in its history broke the record in the Kgalagadi region by garnering 42.6 per cent pass in the JCE.
Kgosi Tshweneyagae highlighted the importance of dedication to education, urging the upcoming candidates to emulate class of 2024, steer clear of distractions and focus more on their studies. He indicated that the achievement came as a result of the partnership that was made amongst the teachers, learners parents and village leadership.
Kgosi Tshweneyagae further commended parents for taking a stance towards ensuring their contribution and partaking in the welfare and education of their children.
“I wish to thank parents for stepping up to the plate and ensuring that they take an active role not just in the upbringing of their children, but also in participating in their children’s studies,” he said.
Kgalagadi regional education director, Mr Daniel Zulu said compared to other schools in the region, Lehutshelo had not been performing well, as it attained 17 per cent pass in 2016, improved to 20 per cent in 2017 and thereafter deteriorated untill 2020.
“I have so much respect for Lehutshelo and have so much trust that the school can even do better than this,” he said.
He therefore encouraged them to aspire to attain 50 per cent, adding that Lehutshelo was competing with Tsabong Unified School, which in 2016 garnered 35.6 per cent, which was termed remarkable at that time. Mr Zulu said Lehutshelo had shown hope in 2022 attaining 33.3 percent, which was the best performance in Kgalagadi, adding that with the current results, it meant that the school had improved its pass rate.
“This year, in all the 1 150 candidates in the region, we have attained eight As, two of which came from Lehutshelo, while two came from Tapologo and four from Tsabong Unified. Of all the 97 who attained grade B, 20 are from Lehutshelo, whereas 36 are from Tsabong Unified School,” he said.
Mr Zulu indicated that attaining 42.6 per cent meant Lehutshelo was now in competition with most schools across the country, adding that currently of all the 10 regions across the country, the Kgalagadi sat at number seven as a result of the remarkable performance made by Lehutshelo. Mr Zulu further thanked the teachers for contribution towards the results.
“We have taken heed of all your grievances, moving forward, and funds permitting, we promise to create a conducive environment for our teachers, especially that we can see there is hope for our learners,” he said.
For her part, Hukuntsi District commissioner, Ms Veronica Rabakane encouraged the pupils to emulate those who made it and to keep working hard with the understanding that they were as capable as their predecessors and could compete with those in urban areas.
“This is a challenge for teachers to forge ahead. You are our diamonds, you have made us proud, we salute you,” she said
She thanked parents for their support to the school and urged them to be even more involved in the school for the betterment of their children’s future.
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