Borolong’s wait for second primary school drags 12 years
Pini Bothoko | Thursday June 5, 2025 12:09
The long-awaited project was once listed as a priority under the Transitional National Development Plan II (2023/24–2024/25), but was suspended last year.
The suspension came to light during a parliamentary session when area Member of Parliament (MP), Jeremiah Frenzel, questioned the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development on the project's status.
Frenzel had argued that the existing school was dangerously overcrowded, compromising both the wellbeing of learners and the quality of education.
In response, the minister revealed that the project had been put on hold pending a review of the Development Manager (DM) model, which guides infrastructure development.
The review, the minister said, affected all projects under the model, including Borolong’s proposed new school.
Hope was briefly reignited last week when a report presented during the Tonota District Full Council meeting indicated that the DM model had been cancelled and a replacement model might be introduced towards the end of this year.
However with no clear timelines, the development has left Borolong residents uncertain about when, or if, their plea will be answered.
Located just 20 kilometres from Francistown, Borolong is amongst the fastest-growing villages in the Tonota District, with a population nearing 10,000. Over a decade ago, education officials proposed an expansion of the current school by adding two classroom blocks to the existing 22, but the plan was scrapped due to space constraints.
The demand for a second school was a significant campaign issue during the 2014 General Election, with candidates pledging to address the crisis.
That year, frustration over failed promises contributed to the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) losing the constituency to the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF).
The District Development Committee (DDC) report presented to the Council acknowledged that overcrowding remains a pressing issue in many of the district’s schools, negatively impacting learning.
The report recommended continued advocacy for the implementation of the government’s backlog eradication programme and encouraged schools to adopt double-shifting as a temporary solution.
Despite the ongoing challenges, Borolong Primary School has demonstrated resilience.
In the 2024 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), the school ranked third in the district, producing 47 Grade As, 35 Grade Bs, and achieving an AB pass rate of 59.9% and an ABC pass rate of 86.9%.
Back in 2014, the village leadership considered a community-driven initiative to build the second school after reports surfaced that seven classes were being held in makeshift structures, including tents and under trees. Unfortunately, that initiative stalled and more than a decade later, no tangible progress has been made.
As learners continue to study under overcrowded conditions, Borolong’s residents remain hopeful that government will soon intervene either through a new DM model or a direct project appointment to finally deliver the long-promised second primary school.