School leadership urged to 'give all' for academic excellence
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday April 22, 2025 09:45
Speaking during the Mater Spei College (MSC) victory party, he said that leadership is placed in schools for the purpose of leading, emphasising that when one becomes a leader success is all about growing others.
He added that leading entails a lot of hard work and it isn't a forum where one begs for friendship.
Mokgosi said they have a problem where leaders want to have friends or be seen as good people.
He stated that leaders mustn't befriend their subordinates or want to be liked by their colleagues but should solely focus on doing their work.
Additionally, Mokgosi stated that when they take their work seriously their clients (students) would benefit at the end of the day.
Mokgosi said that he has seen positive change in MSC in the last year alone.
He mentioned that they used to have many cases of indiscipline from Mater Spei reported to the Regional and District Commissioners' offices.
He highlighted that indiscipline cases being prevalent in a school is clear sign of a lack of hope for the school's academic performance.
'We know that there is no leadership in such a school. It's a sign communicating that things are just not right,' said Mokgosi. He elaborated that indiscipline suggests that the guidance is lacking.
Mokgosi said indiscipline cases declined over two years in reduction to the cases that were reported to them. This clearly shows that the behaviour of children has changed for the better, he added.
Mokgosi also said that when there is proper discipline in a school the results also improve because discipline is the foundation for a learner to perform.
He added that they need to come up with programmes that will facilitate the mental strength of a young person by giving them proper tools for them to withstand any challenge.
Some of the learners, he said, come to school from families that don't offer any proper guidance in life.
Mokgosi also emphasised that they are now living under a different regime which they have never experienced in 58 years.
He underlined that MSC must be aware that they had an Outcome Based Education (OBE) which was recently ceased. Mokgosi said the new administration has shifted the education system from OBE to a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).
He explained that, whilst STEAM is being positioned as an equivalent to OBE, Batswana must understand that the system is currently funnelling all children through academic pathways—as though they are the same, even though learners have different talents and capabilities.
“All students are capable of excelling—no learner is inherently a failure,” he said. “The reason many students are failing is because we’re forcing them through a system that doesn't align with their individual talents.”
He added that efforts have already begun to prepare for the official implementation of STEAM in 2026, in line with the Umbrella for Democratic Change’s (UDC) manifesto.
He noted that the manifesto states STEAM must be implemented within 12 months of assuming power, as outlined under Pillar Four of the education agenda.
He also noted a shift in the approach to child-related matters, pointing out that the department is now called Child Welfare. He commended the signs of progress, particularly that MSC is beginning to raise concerns about issues such as child indiscipline.
On school sports, Mokgosi said that competitive sport, which was halted in 2019, is expected to resume in May 2025.