At the time, there were few private schools most of which were still struggling to make an impact. Admission into a government school was considered a great honour and privilege.
Schools like Matsha College, Matshekge Hill school, Lotsane Senior Secondary then affectionately called the junior varsity, St Joseph’s College, Moeng college, Gaborone Secondary School, to name but a few, were really big brands commanding a lot of respect. Today the tables have turned. Unfortunately many public schools are struggling while private schools are flourishing. Why did things fall apart? There is no clear cut answer. There is, however, a strong view that parents are not sufficiently providing their support to schools. Schools can rise again if parents were to form a formidable partnership with schools, so goes the argument. Nonetheless, it should be recalled that at the time of inception, secondary schools were not necessarily anchored on parental support. Many of them were boarding schools designed to enroll students far away from their places of origin. The issue of parental support or lack of was not vexing at all. All had faith in the ability of schools to turnaround student learning outcomes no matter how academically challenged students were. All eyes were fixated on schools to move the majority if not all students to proficiency. And to their credit, most public schools acquitted themselves well.
