Minister�s political manoeuvres at students� expense
Gothataone Moeng | Friday March 28, 2014 15:29
Ahead of a parliamentary debate scheduled for today regarding the academic future of the students, whose performance in Form Five was the worst this year and in the history of the Botswana education system, the ministry this week hurried to make a statement to the effect that the students would be allowed to re-sit their exams later this year.
This is in contrast to the motion brought to Parliament by Botswana Congress Party’s (BCP) youthful legislator last Friday, who wanted the ministry to make a special dispensation to allow the students to repeat their Form 4 and Form 5, as their poor performance was due to circumstances beyond their control. Arone’s motion was last week adjourned to today at the request of the MoESD, who said they were not ready to respond to the motion.
Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi made a surprise appearance on Botswana Television on Tuesday night making an announcement that pre-empted the anticipated discussion. Yesterday, her assistant Patrick Masimolole delivered a similar statement to Parliament.
In his statement yesterday, Masimolole admitted that the conditions the students went through were not conducive to the teaching and learning environment. The students had to suffer through delays in the completion of the school, which was expected to be finished in early 2012, but was only opened in 2013. Following this delay, students were admitted at Maun Senior Secondary in the second term of 2012, after they missed the entire first term.
Their host school at Maun was also engulfed in fire on two separate incidents, meaning that students from both schools were sent home. When Shakawe SSS opened in 2013, students also lost 29 days in their first term due to shortage of water, Masimolole said. The students also had to contend with mismanagement of the school and inappropriate student-teacher relations, the assistant minister said.
According to the assistant minister, only 16 students out of a total 624-student body will be absorbed into tertiary institutions. He said the ministry has therefore decided to enrol the remaining students with BOCODOL to prepare them for exams at the end of the year.
“This is mainly to ensure that they are given a second chance to improve the results as they essentially benefited from only four out of six school terms allocated for teaching and learning. BOCODOL will provide materials and tutoring support to the students in the different subjects that are offered at BGCSE towards examination time,” he said.
Responding to MPs questions following his presentation, Masimolole insisted that the ministry would do everything they can to ensure that the students get a fair chance. He however, could not name specific strategies the ministry hopes to employ to ensure that the students get an equal opportunity at learning.
MPs who rose to question him were concerned about the challenges that face BOCODOL already, such as a shortage of teachers and an uninspiring pass rate from the distance-learning institution. Further, the MPs wanted to know how students would be assisted with their practical work. MPs Odirile Motlhale and Fidelis Molao wanted to know whether the ministry had consulted the students and the community that would be affected by the decision. In response, Masimolole said the ministry has been given the responsibility to make decisions, and that they could not be expected to consult the concerned students.
Regarding Arone’s suggestion, as stated in his motion, that the students should be allowed to repeat, distributed amongst different schools in the area, Masimolole said they do not have the capacity to do so.
Yesterday, Arone condemned the ministry for making an announcement ahead of the debate of his motion, and without consulting either him or the community involved. He said the decision arrived at by the ministry is completely different from the motion he brought, which he said was influenced by his constituents. Masimolole also said his ministry has taken steps to improve the teaching and learning environment at Shakawe by suspending six teachers suspected of having relationships with students, changing school management, repairing leakages at the school and providing sports and recreation.
“We are of the view that with the above interventions, including recruitment of relevant staff, the school will improve the achievement of its students to a level that is acceptable,” he said.
Meanwhile, debate on Arone’s motion is expected to go on as scheduled this morning.