CDC schools showcase design and technology projects

BOTHO BAPUTAKI
Correspondent | Tuesday June 4, 2013 00:00

 

The exhibition was held under the theme: 'The power of Technology, Strength of the nation.' It was attended by schools from Boteti, Palapye, Serowe and Mahalapye regions.The exhibition was held to revive the subject performance and to create awareness among parents who do not know much about design and technology and to build more interest among students.Design and technology chairperson in the CDC,  Aron Vintor Mosepele said that they  were expecting  48 schools but only 28 attended due to transportation difficulties. 'We have a problem with transport, something I really do not understand why it is so. Design and technology is an examinable subject compared to sport. But when it comes to things that we are really supposed to take seriously, we face transport problems but when students go for sports activities, they have everything they need,' said an agitated Mosepele.

He said design and technology is a time consuming subject that needs a lot of dedication and pushes teachers to work overtime. He said since the introduction of overtime pay in schools, things have become completed.'There is a misconception that teachers delay their weekly duties so they claim overtime but that is not true since design and technology is a time consuming subject,' he said.Low morale among design and technology teachers is another challenge in the subject. Mosepele said the morale is low due to staff welfare and resource allocation and lack of management support.

He mentioned that staff used their own resources such as airtime and transport to organise the event.He said design and technology teachers are concerned that students are not doing well in the subject and they are working round clock to come up with ways to improve the situation. The guest speaker at the exhibition, Letsibogo Ndwapi, the employee relations manager at Morupule Coal Mine (MCM) said the participation of an organisation in the development of a people or the economy cannot be measured by its monetary contribution only. 'Money comes and goes, but ideas, skills and participation live forever,' he said.

He said that schools will help unearth and nurture skills that will make students future engineers in different disciplines. He said the theme of the exhibition encapsulated the very essence of know-how which is to be appreciated in the building of a stronger nation.'Without local skills, a nation that sets out on a journey of development does so at great cost since skills that are normally sourced from other nations, come at a huge cost.We can bear testimony to this at MCM. For years, we have had to contend with such hardships,' he said.Ndwapi handed the CDC design and technology committee a cheque of P3,000.