Patricia Maganu
9 April 2008
Francistown — Towards the end of this year, Setlakegosi Junior Secondary School will celebrate their 40th birthday. In the meantime, Setlakgosi staff and students are involved in a number of fund raising activities to raise funds for the birthday bash in September.
Samuel Gombo of the publicity committee said that they are not only proud to be turning 40 years but the history of the school is something to be proud of. Gombo says the school founder, Bishop Boniface Setlalekgosi, will also be the guest of honour. Gombo said that the school was formed to alleviate a problem at that time.
"The school was built to help street kids at that time because pupils who had obtained a Grade C and below could not be admitted to secondary hence they ended up in the streets. So the school was built to help that situation," he said. In the beginning, the school was a night school and Gombo said that Setlalekgosi did achieve the goal of getting the kids off the streets and into the school.
"At first when the school began operating in 1968 people mocked its aim of getting children off the streets. They were saying the school was collecting waste," he said. Gombo said that despite all the negativity, the school produced responsible citizens. Setlalekgosi is now a government-run school since 1988. "The school operated privately for 20 years," he added. As record will show, Setlalekgosi is one of the best performing schools in the region and in the country.
Gombo said that for the past five years, the school has been performing impressively. "It has been in the top five in the whole country and number one in the whole region. We are striving for a 100 percent quantity pass rate which we have almost achieved already and 45 to 80 percent quality pass rate," he said. Gombo attributes their achievements to the team of the staff. "It is the commitment that everybody here from the headmaster to the grounds man have towards their work. We draw our own weaknesses and turn them into strengths," he said. Gombo said as part of the preparations for the birthday, they are hosting other events that will have people come together. "On June 21, we are hosting a cultural dinner so we are selling tickets. Sometimes in August we will also have a FETE, which will be a family fun day.
The parents have also agreed to contribute money towards this day," he added. They are also looking for former head teachers, teachers and students of Setlalekgosi to engage them in the preparations. He said that as a part of the vision, on their birthday the school will donate a house to a needy family.
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