Time to pass a baton to the young

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday December 4, 2023 06:00

She was hardly two-years-old at the helm of a senior secondary school, having plied her trade at junior secondary for almost all her professional life. But I quickly exercised restraint after I did some quick mathematical calculations and discovered how quickly time can fly. It dawned on me that it was the right time to handover the ceremonial/leadership baton to young cadres. Spending 32 years in the teaching trenches is a milestone accomplishment and it was indeed the most appropriate time to close the curtain on her lengthy, illustrious and glittering professional journey. It is quite ironic that Olebile gave her whole and best self to the teaching profession for over three decades - a profession that was not in her radar. She became a teacher by accident.

“While at high school, teaching was not my first love. I harboured ambitions of becoming a lawyer and all my eyes were fixated on pursuing the legal profession. However, because of lack of career guidance at school, compounded by the fact that the world of school was alien to my parents, I accidentally found myself pursuing a teaching qualification.”

She said upon completion of her Cambridge she did not know she had to apply for a place at the University of Botswana. She naively believed that the university would automatically approach and enrol her. She learnt the hard way when she realised her failure to apply shattered her dreams for entering the university to read for law degree. This is how by her own act or inaction she lost for good the opportunity to study law. While idling at home, she was advised about the opportunity to pursue a Diploma in Secondary in Education at the Molepolole College of Education and she wasted no time in securing a place at the college. But she nearly cut short her studies because the college offered her a ‘strange’ combination of Setswana and Science.

It was when the college refused to accede to her request of a change of subject combinations that she contemplated scouting for jobs in the market. She dropped an application at Barclays Bank among other areas. But as fate would have it, the college took a U-turn and yielded to her request. The reluctant student teacher completed her teaching qualification and happily joined the teaching field in 1991 and this became her permanent home for 32 years. Olebile’s devotion to the profession was total and unparalleled.

It did not take long for her superiors to notice her exceptional qualities and professionalism. Within a period of five years into the job she was appointed to the post of Senior Teacher Grade 1 in 1996 and four years later she was elevated to a Head of Department. Her service was interrupted, albeit briefly, by her decision to enrol for a degree in Humanities with the University of Botswana.

Upon completion of the degree programme, she was catapulted into the coveted position of school principal. It must be noted that it is very rare in the teaching profession to skip positions and she is one of the handful of principals who bypassed the post of deputy school principal. This is a clear indication of how special and unique Olebile was to the profession that she dearly loved and truly served. Just like any other school principal during her time, Olebile is a self made education manager.

She was thrown into the deep end, as she was not subjected to any rigorous instructional leadership programme prior to assumption of her leadership role. But being the iron lady she is, Olebile learnt how to build a ship while sailing. And in this regard she acquitted herself well. She read widely and attended whatever job training workshops the system could afford to offer. Above all, the love and passion of what she was doing made her navigate the terrain of managing schools with relative ease. While she left her footprints in many schools she led, she was at the peak while managing Meepong Junior Secondary School in Phikwe. It was under her tutelage that Meepong was crowned national champions after out-foxing and overpowering the invincible Nanogang Junior Secondary School.

Thanks to her leadership prowess, it would take another giant to rattle the solid foundation she laid at Meepong Junior Secondary School. She is leaving an indelible legacy of high academic performance. Her outstanding performance at Meepong attracted the attention of the authorities and she was moved to manage a senior school and she is leaving at a time when signs of progress are clearly visible at her last school of assignment. Her services will be sorely missed. She made a clever move to retire while at her peak. She is not tired and I am pretty certain that the system will continue to solicit her expertise.

Many of our schools are struggling to achieve desirable results and when the chips are down, there is a pool of veteran teachers and managers ready to rescue the sinking ship. Knowing how patriotic she is, Olebile would never turn her back on her country. I can only wish her success in her future endeavours. And those who are remaining in the school should pick up the guns and continue the combat to sustain the legacy of high performance that she bequeathed to the school.