He was giving a keynote address at the Mater Spei College (MSC) prize-giving ceremony held recently under the theme, 'Mater Spei College See Tomorrow, Today'. In his address, Phatshwane stated that to enable a higher level of performance, parents must strongly support their children's career decisions. He added that one of the reasons he became one of the nation's first engineers was because his parents supported his career choice. The Botash MD emphasised that achieving academic success can also be attributed to hard work, perseverance and pushing oneself. He asserted that students needed to make the most of their current educational setting to shape their future careers. He said that teachers play a unique role in the school environment for students to perform well. "You are very fortunate to have specialised teachers so don’t miss the chance to make use of them to achieve academic success,” Phatshwane added.
According to him, there are opportunities for excellence everywhere whether academically or in extracurricular activities. Therefore, he stated, for every student to reach academic success, it is crucial to recognise their potential or excellence and concentrate on it. Phatshwane stated that excellence isn't a reflection of material resources but rather determined by the choices one has made. “Resources will always be limited but a choice that you make in focusing your mind on is the true value of purpose in life,” he added. He went on to explain that excellence isn't permanent and evolves. Regarding the school’s performance, he praised MSC for its long-standing tradition of excellence. Statistics show MSC consistently ranked within the top 3.85 percent from 2000 to 2021, and Phatshwane affirmed that for over 20 years, the school has consistently demonstrated excellence. He also acknowledged the teachers who coach students, emphasising that the students have consistently excelled in extracurricular activities as well.
