BSB alleviates Motswedi JSS classroom congestion
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday April 8, 2024 06:00
Motswedi JSS is situated in the developing Ledumang area in Gaborone. Like most schools in the city, it faces mass classroom congestion, with the head teacher, Mpho Lesego saying learner enrollment increases by the year as in 2024 the school occupies 1,009 students an increase from 798 in 2013.
She also said the school with a mass enrollment requires 30 classrooms, but it currently only has 15. Lesego further said classroom shortages have forced the school leadership to turn the science laboratories into classes hence, negatively impacting the teaching of the subject at the school.
Additionally, the school was also left with no option but to introduce double shifts thus affecting the programmes that support learning. Lesego expressed fear that the classroom congestion at the school would worsen as the Ledumang area is under developments with shopping malls and residential apartments under construction and that could see an influx of people in to the area. "After the advent of COVID-19, the Ministry moved that a classroom should carry a maximum of 30 students. This decision further expanded our challenge of classroom space.
"We have also observed that there is serious migration of parents and students from rural areas to the city and these children find themselves in our schools," she said. Lesego was speaking at the classroom handover ceremony held in the school premises recently She further indicated that the school has limited resources to meet the ever-increasing classroom demands. She showered BSB with praises for coming to the school's aid. "I want to thank BSB for investing in our school and education of our children. "We will forever be grateful for the gesture.
These are projects that improve the quality of lives of the citizens of this country," she said. For her part, BSB deputy board chairperson, Esther Lemo said it is the banking institution's hope that the classroom project would serve as a beacon of hope and progress for the community. She said it is BSB's goal to create positive change that resonates for generations to come. Lemo said the gesture is a clear indication that BSB it is not about making profit but caring for the community. "One of our key pillars of BSB's corporate social responsibility programme is supporting incentives under the ambient of education.
To fulfill this pillar the bank has identified an opportunity to support the growth and nurturing of education through funding the construction a classroom at Motswedi JSS," said Lemo. She further said it is the bank's vision to make a tangible difference in lives of those in need and the project stands as a testament to the bank's commitment to give back to the community. The newly built classroom becomes the 16th at the school as Motswedi JSS remains on a 14 classrooms shortage. Motswedi has over the years shown great improvement in the Junior Certificate Examinations (JCE) results.
The school had in 2017 attained 42.8% merit and ranked in position 20 from 21 schools in the South East region. In 2023, the school managed a 58.1% pass rate and ranked fifth in the region and number 16 nationally. It recorded the highest pass rate in 2020 as they ranked 10th nationally and third in the region with a pass rate of 59.2%. Lesego revealed that Motswedi JSS has submitted a proposal to expand the school premises to the government in a bid to meet the classroom demands.