2017-06-23Staff Report 2 Aron Mushaukwa Katima Mulilo-Deputy Minister of Works and Transport James Sankwasa says he is pleased the donation of Grade 12 study materials he made to Sesheke Senior Secondary School in western Zambezi Region in July 2015 has helped improve academic performance at the school. Sankwasa made the donation to Sesheke Secondary School after learning that not a single learner at the school has passed Grade 12 and qualified for admission to any university in 2014. Sankwasa said at the time that he was very touched after learning about this and saw it necessary to donate study study materials to the school. “I was touched to learn that Sesheke did not have a single learner who passed Grade 12 in 2014. If I want to see change I must be part of that change,” said Sankwasa at the time. He donated study materials for five of the six subjects offered at the school, to the value of about N$65,000. The materials donated were for English, Biology, Mathematics, Physical Science and Development Studies; the other subject being mother tongue Silozi, for which study guides were not available. Sankwasa said he was happy his contribution played a part in helping learners perform better at the rural school. “I felt very bad and I asked myself what can I do as a person born in that region. We cannot just leave education to teachers, to inspectors, to learners or the education director. We as members of the community should also assist where we can assist. That is what moved me to buy the study guides,” said Sankwasa. He further called on other people - particularly from the region - who can assist, to come on board. “Let us all gear our support towards education, simply because that region is performing dismally every year, and we cannot only keep blaming the education director, the school inspectors or the kids. We should do something to improve it, so that at least the region should come somewhere - moved from number fourteen to number ten, number eight or nine,” Sankwasa stated. Since 2014 the performance of the school has improved singinficantly, as it was ranked ninth in terms of Grade 12 results in 2015 region-wide, and last year it attained third position after 19 percent of the learners qualified for university admission. As a result, the school was recently awarded a trophy by the Zambezi Education Foundation for being the Best Performing Rural School. 2017-06-23Staff Report 2
