The church will first build two schools, one in Pa1apye and another in Francistown.
The circular schools will offer specia1ised teaching, an array of enrichment activities and serve students and families from a1l socio-economic backgrounds. Spokesperson for Anglican Diocese of Botswana, Bishop Trevor Mwamba, said that while the schools will be open to students who can afford to pay the required enrolment fees, it will a1so offer opportunities for students who cannot afford the fees an opportunity through scholarships.
"Batswana demand high quality education for their children and these schools will be among the best in our country. As an integral part of our mission, these schools will serve both those who can afford the fees and those who may not be able," Mwamba said. Mwamba leads the initiative of the diocese.
"With a holistic curriculum, pre-eminent teachers, and access to technology, graduates of the new schools will possess the abilities and confidence to compete in the global environment," Mwamba further promised.
Mwamba said that the school would do much more than giving academic support to its students by supporting students' strengths in music, sports and the arts. Mwamba said the diocese is looking at a period of ten years for the first two schools to be operational.
The initiative, according to Bishop Mwamba, aims at collaboration among the Anglican Diocese, the University of Southern California's (USC) Marshall School of Business, and 'Think Tank Thuto', a non-profit organisation which was formed a year ago to raise funds and awareness internationally for the schools.
The non-profit organisation is based in Los Angeles in the United States of America.
To kick-start the programme, Mwamba invited MBA students from USC's Marshall School of Business to assist the diocese in preparing a business plan for the incorporation of the school.
"It's not often you get a chance to help others change the world. This project incorporates everything we emphasise at Marshall: entrepreneurial thinking, interdisciplinary strategy, global impact, and serving others," USC professor David Belasco said. Belasco supervises the USC team.
