Africa-Press – Botswana. The Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Ms Nono Kgafela- Mokoka has toured a Social Responsibility Project in Palapye that has been conceived by the central region for the 2025 National Teachers Day commemoration.
The project, which is at roofing level is the construction of a reception double classroom block at Palapye Central Primary School and consists of two classrooms, two ablution blocks for both boys and girls, a sickbay and a kitchenette. Speaking at the end of the tour on Thursday, Minister Kgafela-Mokoka said the project was testament to the spirit of collaboration among teachers in the central region.
She said once complete, the classrooms would go a long way in realising the promotion of Early Childhood Care and Education Programme as one of the priority areas of the ministry. She said the rolling out of the reception programme gave community hope and great expectation for their children to gain skills at grassroots. However, she said her ministry had not been able to reach out to all children.
She said in Palapye District, there were 32 out of 37 schools offering reception programme adding that the project would take the ministry to another level of achieving the roll out of the reception programme. Ms Kgafela-Mokoka however, appreciated the gesture by teachers to provide the facility for Palapye community, saying such an endeavour was a great sacrifice more so that they had to part with their hard earned money, denying their families some pleasure.
She said the fact that they went out to solicit support from the business community was a true reflection of their commitment to social responsibility, emphasising that the effort signalled the exemplary character that teachers had always displayed in the society. She thanked teachers, the business community and other key stakeholders for having turned a dream into reality. Ms Kagafela-Mokoka said her ministry commits to providing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) based education and ensuring that the welfare of children and teachers was not compromised at all costs.
“I therefore urge you all to promote the Public Private Partnership initiative in an effort to improve the two critical components of child welfare and basic education,’’ she said.
Ms Kgafela-Mokoka said the project would not only enhance the learning environment for the learners but would also ensure their health and wellbeing adding that every child deserved a safe and nurturing space to learn and grow. She appreciated teachers saying they were the backbone of the educational system and the engine that propels the future of children.
The acting director, regional operations central Mr Otukile Kedikilwe said the school enrolled 1 035 learners and things being equal should have five reception classes but due to lack of operational space, they only managed two classes, with 74 learners. Mr Kedikilwe appealed to the business community, donors and sympathisers to buy into the project memorandum so that they give their learners at Palapye Central Primary School self- esteem.
He said the materials required were for roofing, plastering, plumbing, electricity, doors and windows at a total cost of P124 507. The expenditure for the project this far is P315 811 with P242 313 from donations and P73 498 from regional fundraising activities.
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