High Enrolment Cause For Continued Outdoor Classes

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday March 25, 2019 13:42

Enrolment this year stood at 24,140 as opposed to 23,708 registered pupils during the last term of 2018.

“For fully-fledged schools with 22 classrooms, expectation is that enrolment should be 880 pupils, but we are seeing nine schools with more than 880 pupils. For example Mophane (has) 1,176 (pupils), Lesedi 1,157, Ben Thema 1,141, Ithuteng 1,072, Tshwaragano 1,045, Tlhabologo 981, Masa 974, Boswa 930 and Galaletsang 907,” Gaborone city council (GCC) mayor Kagiso Thutlwe said.

He said even if council is trying with its limited budget to help the situation, funds are not adequate for all affected schools.

Thutlwe said this would affect pupils during the winter period and rainy seasons since schools would be forced to combine classrooms and therefore it would be difficult to teach combined classes.

On the issue of performance, GCC primary schools in 2018 stood at 81.8% with an increase of 9.58% compared to 2017.

“Out of 29 primary schools, six – Ledumang 100%, Mophane 94.87%, Tshiamo 90.12%, Camp 94.94%, Tsogang 91.30% and Boitumelo 91.11% – (were the highest performing) and the lowest (ranking) school is Bontleng primary at 63.77% (to the good),” he said.

In secondary schools, there was an increase of 0.64 percent from 54.59% in 2017 to 55.23% in 2018.

“Bonnington has recorded the highest performance at 72.94% and the lowest being Bokamoso at 37.5%. Of the three senior secondary schools in the district, Gaborone senior secondary has improved by 2.2 percent whilst both Ledumang and Naledi senior secondary schools have recorded a decline of 11.78% and 0.99 percent respectively compared to the 2017 results,” he said.

Thutlwe said the region has established a task team to develop academic standards for improved classroom monitoring.