Africa-Press – Botswana. The advent of pre-school component at primary schools has been hailed for bringing peace into the normally chaotic first day of school.
Visiting primary schools around the city, the sight of Standard One pupils crying and refusing to be left at school was not there as children were cool calm and collected.
The head of department, upper class, at Masa Primary School, Mr Kgakgamatso Nsala hailed the advent of pre-school for bringing peace and tranquility to the school environment as pupils were now used to going to school.
Mr Nsala said there were no tantrums that children usually threw at school as it used to be in yesteryears.
He said pre-school had improved the readiness of children to attend school, adding that the majority had developed a sense of excitement and motivation.
He said there was a lot of excitement and little anxiety from the newcomers and that although they did not have pre-school at Masa, almost all their new learners went through the programme.
Meanwhile, Mr Nsala said as was the norm, they experienced an influx of parents requesting placement for their children because of their high commitment, loyalty and effective teaching.
He said due to limited space they had admitted only over 120 Standard One pupils.
Mr Nsala ascribed the success of Masa Primary School to supportive parents as well as the determination of educators in the school.
A Standard One teacher, Ms Kemmonye Ntswaki-Babusi said she had been teaching the beginners class for the past 12 years in her 20-year teaching career.
Ms Ntswaki-Babusi attributed her success with new pupils to her love for children and the passion she had for teaching.
“They are just angels,” she said, adding that her mission was to make the difference with the right foundation.
She said teaching was her calling and that she derived joy from moulding pupils to be responsible citizens, further adding that she liked happy, confident and zealous pupils.
She also added that she was good at developing the social, emotional, cognitive, creative and physical aspects of children she encountered.
Ms Ntswaki-Babusi also hailed the involvement of parents in the education of their children.
She added that all Standard One pupils had books brought by their parents since city council had not yet provided the stationery.”
One parent, Ms Segolame Moeng said it used to be a challenge to send a child to school for the first time because there were no pre-schools to prepare them, but now it was easier for children to adapt to the school environment.
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