Botsalano Publishing launches JC revision books

NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE
Correspondent | Monday May 7, 2012 00:00

 

The publishing company has so far been able to publish eight revision books for junior secondary students that will be distributed to different bookshops nationwide.Speaking at the launch, Botsalano's director, Jackie Mokgachane said that basic education is a fundamental driver of human development and without it Botswana would not prosper. 

'Enhancing an individual's literacy skills is beneficial for increased productivity and economic growth. Investment in primary and secondary education also means positive investment in human development, there is much more to it than just increasing the financing,' he said.'We must do all we must to lift the image of education in this country. Low quality education is a poverty trap and we must all stand up and fight it vigorously,' he said.

Simonds Bamfo, a teacher, told the teachers and headmasters at the launch that these books are good as they are colourful and have been designed in a way that is appealing to children and teenagers. 'These books include summary notes, questions and answers that are written upside down at the back. There are also questions at the back pages to help the students learn more and find answers for themselves,' he said. He said that he, as a teacher, knows the impact that these books bring to many students or children of different capabilities as he had piloted them before taking them to people.Bamfo also advised teachers and parents not to stop using textbooks but rather to use the two side by side. ' A revision book can never replace a textbook. Together they can enhance a child's understanding (of the subject matter),' he said.

For her part, Christine Charlie, the Boteti Primary School headmaster, gave a testimony on how Botsalono books have helped her school, saying since 2007 her school has never scored below 80 percent in final exams. She said that even though most of her children are in a remote area, her school keeps on obtaining high percentages. 'Botsalono Company has written these books with vision. What is good about them is that they have questions at the end of every chapter. They have comprehensions, while pictures are so colourful that children find them attractive,' she said.

'It is the only currency that can get them off poverty,' says Rainbow Secondary School head and motivational speaker, Micheal Senassiee. Senassiee applauded Kgolagano for their contribution to education in this country. ' We hope that you will soon publish BGCSE (Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Examination),' he added.'Let's bring out the genius in our children. Let's give them a light. We have to ask ourselves if we are making a difference in their lives or not. There is nothing that makes a country better than the one that harnesses its children by improving the quality of our education. We have to start from the root, which means from pre-school children to tertiary students,' he told the teachers.These eight books are Setswana, Science, Maths, Social Studies, RE (Religious Education), Physical Education, Agriculture and English. These books will be distributed countrywide and each book costs P120.