Mophuting To Retire

By Lekopanye Mooketsi
Correspondent | Monday June 16, 2008 00:00

 

However, his departure will not be good riddance as one of the students lamented 'it is so sad that the school is losing him'.

Mophuting has also been a 'Mr Fix It' at many schools that he headed. His teaching experience goes back to 1978 when he was posted to Moeng College in the Central District. This was the same school where he did his teaching practice.

Mophuthing, who held a teaching diploma, started as a History and Geography teacher. Since there was a shortage of teachers by that time, he also taught English. When he arrived at Moeng, he was also appointed as the sports and curricular master.

In 1981, he was promoted to become an assistant head teacher. In 1983, Mophuting left for further studies to acquire a degree at the University of Botswana (UB).  

After completing his studies, the Catholic Church recruited him and then posted to St Joseph's College where he became the deputy headmaster until 1990. The following year he took over as the headmaster at Kagiso Senior Secondary School in Ramotswa. After five years, he was transferred to Kgari Sechele Secondary School in Molepolole.When he joined Kgari Sechele, it was one of the worst schools in terms of the Cambridge results. Mophuting consulted his colleagues like Bernard Moswela, Archie Makgothu and the late Albert John, who were heading other schools about the situation at Kgari Sechele. He wanted their advice because they had been in the field for a long time. Whatever advice he was given, seemed to have been working wonders because in 1994, the results at his school improved. In fact, he said, in one year the school climbed to position four out of 27 schools. 

Mophuting said the process of team building took them a month in Kgari Sechele and 'then we were one thing. 'That's how we were able to turn the school around.' After he left Kgari Sechele, Mophuthing was rather demoted to head Kwena Sereto Community Junior Secondary School, which was also in Molepolole. He was deployed to the junior school due to an issue that he had with some of the supervisors. The matter was later settled out of court in his favour.

In 1999, he saw himself in Palapye, this time heading Lotsane Secondary School where he found that indiscipline reigned supreme. 

'It was the worst school in terms of student and industrial class employee discipline.'  Even in the examinations results, the school fared badly.

'It was a weird school. The hostels were completely vandalised. The teachers came to school as and when they wanted. There was lawlessness everywhere. Kitchen staff were looting the school food,' Mophuthing describes the chaotic situation that he found at Lotsane. But he also found himself in the dock when he was charged for an unspecific criminal offence. In fact he could not even recall what the real charge was because it was dismissed in court. He said the trumped up charges were a sequel to the Molepolole incident, as some Ministry of Education officials wanted to settle old scores with him.

Mophuting said due to his interdiction, it took him longer to change the school's fortunes. According to him, Lotsane was also a very difficult school to turn around. 'One had to start with the employees first. We went about with the process of team building, which started with teachers and filtered to students.' But the process paid dividends and even the examination results improved. Lotsane was amongst the top 10 schools in terms of Cambridge results performance. 

For Mophuthing, since Lotsane was one of the most difficult schools, he learnt quite a handful. Initially even the staff members were difficult to work with. They formed a strong Parent-Teachers Association (PTA), which was results-driven. Mophuting said some of the PTA members were from outside villages like Ratholo and Lerala but they never missed a single PTA meeting. 'We built people out of our students through empowering them. We had a prefect system, which was elected. When problems arose, the prefects dealt with them.' Mophuting recalled that before he joined Lotsane, it was a chaotic school characterised by student boycotts. But during his six-year reign, there was never a single student disturbance. 'We never had any strikes because the prefects were empowered.'

He said even the parents in Palapye had a traditional touch and believed in discipline.  Elderly people were always keeping an eye on students outside school and reported any wrongdoing. I made a lot of friends in Palapye and Serowe. Palapye almost became my second home,' he said with a trace of nostalgia. 

Names that crop up include Tony Mabua, Major Ngaka and Styles Shashane who are some of his close buddies who always supported him. 

Even in the school, Mophuting also built a formidable team. When he was transferred to Gaborone, he wanted to move with all his teaching staff but only managed to 'poach' a few. 

Lotsane was not only doing well academically but also in extra-curriculum activities like sports. In football, it was one of the top schools. Mophuting attributes this achievement to the commitment of teachers. But another mover who played a pivotal role in transforming the school was Opelo Makhandlela who was by then the chief education officer for the region. Mophuting said the education official was supportive of schools in his region and paid them regular visits. Makhandlea is now the director of Teaching Service Management (TSM). Mophuting was transferred to GSS at the end of 2004. Once again there were some officials at the ministry who did not want him to head the school but finally he got the nod. At GSS, Mophuting was also to find another troubled institution. He still remembers his first day at the school. Some students found him with security guards at the gate and sarcastically remarked that 'there is a new village headmaster'. Being a disciplinarian, he started to crack the whip immediately against the culprits. In his book, indiscipline was inherent in the school.

He spoke about incidents when some students attended classes dead drunk. Others would start fights in the classrooms and around the school. 'There were problems of drugs. Drug-pushers would come to school at tea break to peddle their stuff. The school gates were not manned properly. We tightened our controls.'

Some of the predominant drugs were dagga and occasionally other stuff like ecstasy. 'We had to work hard to curtail the problem of drugs and truancy. Some students did not come to school every Friday. We put up a mechanism to ensure that they came to class. We also communicated with their parents when they were not in class.'

Coupled with student indiscipline, there were also administrative hiccups. Mophuting said there was irregular secondment and transfer of teachers. However, Mophuting went about with team the building exercise again. This time, he said, it was smooth because the teachers were forthcoming. The results are there for all to see now. GSS has become one of the best-disciplined schools in the country. As with the other schools, GSS also managed to improve its academic results. However, Mophuting said last year they found themselves in uncomfortable position eight. He attributed this to the fact that their academic monitoring devices were weakened. He said there was also a considerate staff turnover. But he said they are working to address the situation. GSSS has been doing well in sports and extra curricular activities as witnessed by the trophies and shields that are adorning Mophuting's office. His office resembles that of a leading football club. The school has been doing well in sports activities like football, basketball and rugby. 

GSS has also dominated the blood donation cup. Every year the students from the school have been leading blood donors as compared to other institutions, including the Botswana Defence Force (BDF). Mophuting said his school is active in information communication technology (ICT) activities as well. 

Some of his students have travelled outside the country to attend ICT related activities. Unlike some managers, Mophuting does not have to pronounce that he has an open door policy. During the interview, several staff members interrupted to consult him on various issues. Judging by the jovial manner in which he was chatting with them, one could tell that this is a man of the people. He might be right when he says he has never had a problem with people that he worked with. 

He said the problems that he had were those that were created by some individuals with ulterior motives. Mophuting said in times of strife he has always been encouraged by members of his family not to quit. He said his wife, children and other relatives have been quite supportive in that regard. Mophuting is intending to go into farming when he retires.  For him, there will be no time for politics.