Limpho Sello
BASOTHO National Party (BNP) candidate for the Moyeni constituency, Nameko Nkuebe has promised to urgently convene stakeholders meeting to address challenges in the education sector in the event they win Saturday’s national elections.
Lesotho will hold elections on Saturday for the third time in five years after the tenure of Dr Mosisili’s seven-party governing coalition prematurely ended due to a parliamentary no-confidence vote sponsored by four opposition parties including the BNP.
And Mr Nkuebe recently said once elected, the BNP would convene a meeting within six months with stakeholders, including education officers, school principals, parents and the school boards to deal with challenges that plagued the education sector.
He said it was common knowledge that schools in the Quthing district were the least performing in the Junior Certificate and Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education (LGCSE) examinations.
“We need to find solutions because we already know most of the challenges which include long distances between schools and villages, the high schools in the districts are in town where we have about four high schools in the Quthing district,” Mr Nkuebe said.
“We therefore promise that within six months of forming government, we will meet with education officers at district level to understand some of the challenges they are faced with. We also need to work with them on how we can improve the education system in the district.
“It is also wise to meet with school principals so that they can voice out the challenges they come across so that together we can tackle them,” he said, adding they would also consult the public.
He gave the example of Qomoqomomg village, saying the place was at least 15 kilometres away from the school in town and learners could not be expected to excel when they had to travel such a long distance every day.
“Some students bunk classes during rainy conditions and besides, the schools are just too far from the villages which forces students to travel long distances. The students’ brains and body do not get enough rest and that affects their learning and concentration in class,” he said.
Meanwhile, some of the villagers in the constituency accused teachers of absconding from work and simply gave the excuse that they had given the learners homework.
“Then we wonder what the children do in class since homework is supposed to be done at home under our guidance while at school they are supposed to be taught by teachers,” one villager said on condition of anonymity.
“Teachers are not serious here. We all know that a teacher is supposed to be a leader and but teachers are not leading and becoming role models for our children. That is why we have been having poor results for years,” she said.
