How the system failed Kagisano

GREG KELEBONYE
Staff Writer | Friday January 8, 2010 00:00

 

This has become a cliche, used by the courts, Social Services and related departments around the world. But just whose responsibility is it to ensure that what is in the best interest of the child prevails? Take the case of 16-year-old Kagisano Otlogeleng. Today, as children his age were excitedly trying on their new pairs of school shoes, or trying on a new uniform or attending their new school's orientation session, this boy was busy loitering at the village Tuck-Shop, hoping to find a piece-job to later buy some flour or a packet of beans to share with his impoverished family. But this boy would have been as excited as his peers had circumstances in his life been different.

When schools open next week Kagisano would have been queueing up with his peers for his Form Five assembly, but despite the fact that he passed his Junior Certificate and was admitted at Kgari Sechele Senior Secondary School last year he was never able to go to school. From interviews with his parents, the social welfare and education officials, it becomes apparent that if the government institutions had working systems in place, the boy would have been continuing with his studies. 

'My boy passed his Junior Certificate, at least he met the cut-off point and was admitted at Kgari-Sechele Secondary School. We had to get the admission form from Motswasele Junior Secondary School where he did his junior certificate, but the school would not release the form as they said that he owed P770 for lost text books,' the boy's mother Seki Otlogeleng told Mmegi. She said that, although she was unemployed at the time, she managed to raise P600, that she borrowed from friends.

'I went to the school and asked the Head of Department (HoD) responsible for my son's stream of classes, if the school would accept the P600 and issue a clearance certificate so my son would go to senior school. However, the HoD told me that there was no way that the school would help if I did not bring the full amount,' she said. However, asked if she had indeed made it clear to the HoD that she had P600, she said she had not brought that up as she was discouraged when the HoD showed no interest in how much she had. She went back home, only deciding to visit the council social services office a few weeks later.

'The Social services people were equally unhelpful. When that happened, I gave up hope of my boy ever going back to school,' she said.

Today, Seki is not even thinking about her boy going back to school.

'While I would be happy to see him going back to school, I am too busy seeing to his siblings who are going to be doing standard four and form one. I do not have the time to visit all the offices that could help as I am working for the Drought Relief Programme. The 360 Pula that I get per month is not even enough to buy our grocery and I cannot use it to pay for the boy's clearance at the junior school. Even then it is too late for him to go back to school. They will never consider him for enrolment,' she said dejectedly.

A member of the Village Development Committee (VDC) who heard about the boy's plight, however tells a different story.

'When I heard about the boy's situation I made arrangements for the boy, his mother, the area councilor, the Social Welfare Officer and myself to meet and see what needed to be done, but the mother appeared reluctant to come on the set date. I met the boy and asked him if he was coming, but he told me that his mother had said they should not attend as it would not help,' said an exasperated Pona Moraloge. She believes had there been inclination on the part of the boy's mother, the boy would have gone on to form four

'As a member of the VDC I can only do so much,' she said.

Asked how he lost his school books, the boy claimed that someone broke into his locker and stole the books. He still wants to go back to school and hopefully, one day, become a lawyer.

Kgari Sechele Secondary School Head Innocent Kologwe, who joined the school four months into the first term believes the school system also failed the boy.

'Procedure stipulates that Headmasters at Senior Secondary School should send admission forms to the Junior Secondary Schools where the children were attending. This is a way of ensuring that the children are cleared of any damage or loss that they may have caused the junior secondary school where they attended. The school should give the child a clearance certificate and the admission form. The admission form comes to the senior secondary school and the child should be able to attend lessons. Children whose parents are unable to pay for clearance should be assisted,' he said. Such assistance would include visits to the child's home by school authorities, or phoning parents to understand why the child had not reported to school.

'I would assume the social workers would also assist as all of us should be working for what is in the best interest of the child,' he said, adding that parents also needed to show willingness, and that where such lacked, the school, together with the social services department should ensure they find a solution to helping the child.

'As teachers we come across all sorts of parents. Some are learned and confident while others are illiterate, have very little confidence in facing certain situations and often give up when there would have been a solution, so in a normal working system the school should find a solution by locating the child and seeing what needs to be done, he said.
It appears that never happened in the case of Kagisano.

However, Kologwe is optimistic that a solution can be found so that the boy can go back to school.

'We shall engage our circle of support systems to see how the boy can be helped, and especially that the boy is still within the allowable age,' he said
The School Head at Motswasele Junior Secondary School, Dr Innocent Kologwe said that the school was never aware that the boy or his mother ever came to the school to negotiate a way for him to get his admission certificate.

'That does not mean we are not concerned. While the boy was a student here, we realised that he was a case for the social services people as he was obviously needy and his parents were not able to meet all his needs. I would have assumed that Kgari Sechele Secondary School would have approached us to find out why the child was not at school, we never got to know that the boy was not attending because he did not have a clearance certificate. I only hope Kgari Sechele will take the initiative to see to it that the child goes to school this year.

'Surely we are concerned about the welfare of the child and would be willing to sit down with all concerned parties,' he said.

Social Services department's program for needy children, Acting Deputy District Commissioner for Kweneng, Makonya said that the boy's situation was never brought to their attention.

'We never got to know about the boy's situation. Had we known about it, we would have acted and ensured that he attends school,' she said.

The Council has many such cases, but relies upon schools and parents to inform council staff so that assistance can be given to such children.

Makonya said that a parent who earns over P120 per month would not qualify for the destitute program. That would exclude Kagisano's mother who earns P360.

'However, even in situations where parents earn more than the set P120 for singles and P150 for couples, we would still assist, for example by seeking exemption from paying school fees for their children, if such parents are completely unable to raise the school fee,'  she said adding that her office would make a follow-up on Kagisano's case to ensure that he goes back to school.

With Kagisano's mother, Kgari Sechele Secondary School and Motswasele Junior Secondary School, and Social Services seemingly absolving themselves from blame for the boy's plight, it remains to be seen if any help will come the boy's way and if he will be attending school come January 19, when schools re-open.