Overjoyed parents hail Gerald Estates JSS
Pini Bothoko | Thursday January 12, 2017 16:20
The new Gerald Estate Junior Secondary School (JSS) opened its doors to students for the first time on Tuesday.
Over the years, children from this location have been travelling long distances to Montsamaisa and Goldmine JSS in Block Four and Eight respectively.
The children used to walk eight kilometres or more every weekday, something that did not sit well with parents who feared they would be run over by vehicles or attacked by criminals.
On Tuesday, a Mmegi news crew visited the school where overjoyed parents could not help waxing lyrical in their welcome remarks as the saw a future of ease of access to education in Gerald Estate.
Margaret Setlhare, 57 said she was happy that finally a junior secondary school had been built in their location, as their children had been struggling walking long distances to attend schools in other parts of the city.
“Over the years, we have been pleading for a school and we thank government for considering our request for the sake of our children who have been struggling,” Setlhare said.
She said parents had been concerned that their girl-children were vulnerable to sexual predators due to the long distance to alternative schools.
“The walking distance was stressful but as parents we made all efforts to give them transport fare,” she said.
“However, children have the tendency of walking home, instead using the transport money to buy sweets, hence putting their lives at risk.”
A brother to one of the children, Kenosi Jack, 26, said the opening of the school was welcome relief for children.
“Our children used to leave home at 4am walking to school and it was so disheartening to see them traveling such long distances,” he said.
“I am so happy that my parents will not be spending money on transport because the school is located a few metres away from home,” Jack said.
Chandapiwa Sechele, 27, said the distances had affected children’s academic performance.
“Due to the long walking distance to school, children used to fail to concentrate because by the time they arrived, they would be too tired to pay attention.
We are hopeful that soon we will see a change in our children’s school performance,” Sechele said.
She said they used to be forced to transport their children to school something that was expensive.
Sechele, whose sister is in her final year in primary, expressed delight that her sibling would be near home.
“We have been failing to take part in the children’s education because of the distance and for a change we will be able to visit the school, know our children’s teachers and be able to take part in their education,” she said.
The 30-stream school was constructed to the tune of P118 million by LMS Super Construction and caters for around 1,350 students.