SRSS is the cream of the BGCSE crop despite experiencing challenges amongst them lack of electricity due to a blown-out transformer for the last four moths including during the examination period. SRSS' reopening this year did not begin as planned. In an interview with Mmegi, the SRSS acting school head, Solomon Ramokate expressed his satisfaction with the school's success. He stated that over the last 18 years, the school’s performance was below par. The last time SRSS was top of the BGCSE class was in 2007 when the school scooped position 3 nationwide. Ramokate added that the current performance has put their school on the spotlight to be well known as the best performing school in the country. Additionally, he stated that their remarkable performance has earned them praise around the nation. "Due to our poor results over the years, parents had the tendency of transferring some of the top achievers from the junior secondary schools who were enrolled with us to senior schools in Francistown or other areas during this time of the year," he continued.
Ramokate maintained that because of their academic success, they have gained so much reputation that they are now getting more requests for transfers in. He elaborated that it is clear that the school has gained recognition because so many parents are flocking in to request Form Four placement. Speaking about some of the tactics utilised, he said after recognising that their school had not been performing well in prior years, they started their master plan in 2020. For instance, Ramokate noted that the school recorded its worst performance back in 2014 when it obtained position 27 out of 34 schools. He said that a learner profile, which tracks each student's performance, was one of the strategies used for learning attainment. He said that a learner profile, which tracks each student's performance, was one of the strategies used for learning attainment. According to the acting school head at SRSS, they wanted students to get better and earn at least six credits through learner performance tracking. "Students who received D's and E's in each subject were given support so they might advance to four or five credits. In order to help and encourage academic success, we also involved parents," he continued. According to Ramokate, parents play a critical role in helping children to make satisfactory progress. He noted that students particularly depend on their parents to monitor their schoolwork and make sure their learning needs are satisfied both inside and outside of the classroom. He added that although evening classes were initially offered until 6pm, some students eventually stayed until 9pm because of the devotion and hard work of some students, including boarding students. According to SRSS, they also conducted monthly assessments tests in which they identified and awarded badges to the top-performing students in each subject. “The head of houses (HODs) were also encouraged to spend more time in the classrooms than their offices so that they can assess the daily learning routines,” he added.
Additionally, he said following the aforementioned performance strategies, the school obtained position 15 with 21.7% performance rate (six credits or better) in the 2021 BGCSE results. He indicated that they were able to move from position 15 to eight with 26.4% pass rate in the 2022. He stated that the results proved that they were headed in the right direction to establish SRSS as a school of academic excellence. He disclosed that initially their goal at the time was to secure a spot in the top 10 performing schools nationwide. According to Ramokate, they also made progress in the 2023 BGCSE results, taking sixth place with a score of 29.12%. Additionally, he disclosed that for the year 2024 they aimed for position three, but because of their dedication, they were able to take first place nationally with 34.64%.
He revealed that about 300 students received six credits or above on the 2024 BGCSE. Approximately 779 students, including those who did not take their examinations for various reasons, took the 2024 BGCSE examination, he added. “We were also over the moon that we managed to produce two top achievers from our school. Our very own William Mothusi attained 7A*, 2A’s, 1B and IC whereas Macro Mabeto took 7A*, 1A and 3Bs something which will be written in the history books of the school,” he added. Ramokate stated that before implementing their plan to restore SRSS to its former glory, they had to first address the students’ lack of discipline to a minimal degree. He also shared that for an entire month in July of last year, there was no electricity available on the school grounds. He clarified that for a few months, the situation was back to normal. However, it happened once more in the middle of November when Form 5 students were taking their final BGCSE examinations. He added that the computer studies students' practicals were affected by the lack of electricity and that they had to hire a generator in order to assist. The SRSS acting school head indicated that lack of electricity prevented the school from being a conducive learning environment.
He said because students meals were prepared late, the entire school was unable to operate effectively. “Boarding students were primarily impacted by the circumstance since they had to sleep in the dark. Some of them had to ask their peers to iron their school uniforms for them at home because they were unable to do it themselves," he continued. Furthermore, Ramokate stated that some parents and teachers offered the boarding students assistance by buying lamps to help them with their night time revision. He added that although some of the children were panicking during that critical period, they were given daily motivation to encourage them not to give up. “We had to tell them the hard facts that they needed to keep their heads up and work extra harder because the examination does not differentiate whether there are circumstances or not,” he added. He thanked the former head of school and the deputy head of school for starting the plan to restore SRSS to its former glory. Additionally, he expressed his appreciation to the various stakeholders, especially the SRSS alumni, for their financial support. The stakeholders offered financial donations, volunteering their time and advocating for the school within their networks to enhance the learning environment for all. In conclusion, he stated that they will continue maintaining discipline in their school and good performance so that they remain at the top.
