Rakgare decries digressing education standards

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday February 19, 2014 17:48

 

Speaking at a press conference yesterday at the Big Five Lodge, Rakgare said at Mogoditshane Primary School four classes for standard two and three are taught under a tree, while 10 teachers do not have accommodation.

“The situation is worse at Moamogwa primary as eight classes are taught outside, eight teachers commute from outside Gaborone, Nkoyaphiri Primary School has six outside classes, while Solomon Dihutso has eight. In all these schools, teachers are facing a serious problem of accommodation and that is why students are not performing well,” he said.

Out of 487 students who sat for the Junior Examination Certificate (JCE) at two in the Mogoditshane schools, Rakgare said only one got A, 38 got a B grade, 122 attained C, 211 D, 59 E and 56 got grade U. Coupled with the stated problems, Rakgare said he has realised that some students who sat for examination did not have enough learning material due to shortage of books and other necessary learning equipments.  He noted that students taught under these circumstances could not learn effectively or research, especially with no textbooks.

The BCP parliamentary hopeful observed that shortage of teachers’ accommodation was high, something that could contribute to bad academic performance as some travel to and from Kanye.

He said the crisis in education could be solved by among other things, the resignation of the Minister of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi and her assistant, Patrick Masimolole. Interestingly, Masimolole is also the Member of Parliament for Mogoditshane, Rakgare’s opponent in the October general elections.

“The duo has failed in their mandate to provide our children with quality education. The future of our children looks bleak,” said Rakgare.