'The son is older than the father'

GALE NGAKANE
Correspondent | Monday June 21, 2010 00:00

The show was one of a series of events leading to the commemoration of the Day of the African Child on June 16.Its theme of the show was Planning and Budgeting for Children - Our Core Responsibility. It was well attended by students from Francistown Senior Secondary School, Donga Junior Secondary School and Montsamaisa Junior Secondary School.

Students of Mater Spei College did not attend owing 'pressing matters' at the school. They had been invited as panellists alongside their peers from FSSS, an officer from Kutlwano Police station and a representative of the council's Department of Social Welfare and Community Development (S&CD).

The seriousness of the occasion was underscored by the presence of the City Clerk of Francistown, Geoffrey Gare, who performed the official opening and the singing of the national anthem before it. The panellists dwelt on what the government was doing to cater for children, either in school or out of school, in terms of budgeting. The social worker, Goitsemang Maano, said there was a budget that enabled them to research and tackle problems affecting children, such as abuse by parents and street children.

Superintendent Rodney Nkokwe said as the police, they have to ensure parents adhere to the Children's Act which prescribes charges for parents who neglect or abused their children.

But it was during question time that the students rose to the occasion, proving even doubting Thomases that being a child is not only about eating, sleeping and being totally dependent on Mom and Dad.

They too have perceptions and are disturbed by challenges that confront the average person. Some of the questions that the students asked were such posers that it took the dexterity the Directors of Ceremony (DCs), Cinderella Gabasiane and Shasha Magama, to bring the debate and dialogue under control.

A question from a Donga student was why it was that mothers have a tendency of denying their children the chance to know their fathers. Maano's attempted answer was brushed aside by a teacher from FSSS who demanded further clarification.

Another attempt by a social worker was similarly dismissed for being lame before it was eventually that the issue was a sensitive one. A teacher reminded the children that they too will be parents one day and they may also come to a point where they do not want their children to know the other parent. Another question that had teachers at sixes and sevens was about the syllabus, which the enquirer said changes frequently. The student, who said she was directing the question especially at teachers, wanted to know why it was that students at the same level could use different textbooks which differ in quality and detail for the same subjects.

She gave the example of a Form 5 student at one school using a Collegium textbook and Form 5 student at another school using a Katlego textbook. Teachers grappled with the question before one eventually admitted the situation gives some students advantage over others. Another poser was: 'What was the government doing about Ba-Zezuru children who do not go to school even though education is also their right?' Yet another was that some schools with double-storey buildings do not cater for disabled students, who use wheelchairs, for instance?

A Montsamaisa student wanted to know why Standard 7 pupils whose parents have died are counselled while the same service is not offered to Form 1 students when they suffer the same fate? Yet another said students too need privacy and complained that there have been instances when they had taken a teacher into their confidence only for the secret to be public knowledge the next day.

'You will have talked to the teacher in private, only for the whole school to know about your secret,' the well-spoken student said. 'What is to be done about such teachers?'

'There are children like me who survive by eating from dustbins,' came another poser. 'What is the government doing about it?' After a genuine and often spirited effort to answer the questions, there was a realization by many at the panel discussion that 'bana ba malatsi a ba botlhale thata'.

Francistown schools were to meet for another debate at Goldmine Community Junior Secondary School on Thursday. Said one teacher at the end of the Wednesday discussion: 'Go ya go nna mathata kwa. Bana ba ba a bua (It is going to be fireworks over there. These children can talk).'

Perhaps, it could be what prompted an old man to scratch his gray hair and remark: 'An adult impala's wisdom is from its young.' Or the Bible to say: The son is older than the father.