TONOTA: So often today we hear that we are now in the knowledge-based economy. But, there is a serious shortage of books in our schools. When I supervised Tonota College of Education (TCE) students during their teaching practice in junior secondary schools, I often saw up to five students crowding around a single book.And it’s worse now with the COVID-19 pandemic when the need for social distancing prevents students from sharing books. But, it is not as if there are no publishers of textbooks here; there are many – Macmillan, Pearson, Collegium, Diamond... Therefore, it is imperative that government should spend more on textbooks rather than making students share, especially in these days of the pandemic. And we should heed the motto of the Central District Council: Kitso ke nonofo (Knowledge is power)! How true that is! The supply of teaching resources is not always hindered, as one might expect, by a lack of financial resources. This is because in recent years, the Ministry of Basic Education has taken the lion’s share of the annual budget. Rather, it is due to the long drawn out, time-consuming procedure of procuring resources.
Each year, schools prepare estimates of expenses for the coming financial year. These estimates are then sent on; for example, a school in Tonota will send its estimates first to the sub-region office in Tonota after which they are then forwarded to the regional office in Serowe. And from there to Gaborone for final authorisation. The ministry then uses the estimates as a guide for drawing up a budget for each school. And that’s not all! Once the schools have received their budgets for the coming financial year, to obtain resources, subject departments first have to fill in internal requisition forms showing the resources that they would like the school to purchase.
The supplies department then requests up to five quotations from local stores that sell these resources. And some items have to be put out to tender. So, government should find ways of speeding up the procurement of essential resources for schools. Schools also need to economise their use or resources if they are not to run out of money before the end of the financial year. Paper is a major resource and large quantities are used especially in the duplicating of examinations and end of month test papers.
But, the amount of paper can easily be reduced significantly. For example, using closer line spacing, changing the font size and margins, and printing on both sides of the paper. Multiple choice papers may be very long but the answers can be arranged differently. Rather than being arranged vertically in a column, they can be arranged across a page, especially if the answers are short.
Schools that economise on use of resources may find that they may not use up all the money allocated to them before the end of the financial year. However, if they return left over money then they may be allocated less in the following year. So, the message is clear – use up all the money!
Other resources that might be useful in schools are scanners and laminators.
For example, photos and pictures can be scanned from a book and then incorporated into a handout using a computer. Manilla charts and handouts may be laminated by covering them with a thin layer of plastic to protect them from damage; hence they are now more durable and longer lasting. And even in well-resourced schools, the state of reprographics may leave much to be desired.
Duplicators and photocopy machines so often break down due to the lack of regular maintenance. And it may take ages for such machines to be repaired in which case a school may have to resort to having another school, or government institution, to do duplicating.
Also, chalkboards may be in a poor condition. But the reality is that teachers may have to use them for some years to come despite the emphasis on modern technology and digitisation. White boards might be a better choice with the use of felt tip pens.
Another possible alternative is the electronic board – this is First World technology that many developing countries like Botswana are all too keen to adopt. Now, teachers might prefer to use such a board rather than using chalk. But, electronic boards do not come cheap (P30, 000 or more) and can break down; also, they will not work when there are power cuts, or where there is simply no electricity at all! At least, if a piece of chalk breaks, then all we have to do is grab another!
Most classrooms have large notice boards which can also be resources that can be used by teachers. However, all too often all that one sees on them are the class timetables and the sweeping rota. But teachers could place on them newspaper cuttings showing articles of interest. Whilst a lecturer at TCE, I did so and would urge my students to read them and then give them occasional informal quizzes with small rewards for those who scored the highest marks.
We also need to foster a culture of reading amongst students and so every school should have a well-stocked library. Pupils should be encouraged to use the library, not only for study, but also to borrow books to read at home. This is because at present Batswana are not a reading nation. There is no denying this fact! These days pupils are more likely to read SMSes on their cellphones or messages from social media than good wholesome books. When I visit my local library to borrow a book, most times I am the first person to borrow it despite the fact that the library was opened more than five years ago. And I feel that the choice of books is of utmost importance. Since English is a second language for the vast majority of pupils, books written in easy-to-read English should be chosen. Lengthy novels should be avoided. And picture books of the ‘coffee table book’ variety could also be bought. Such books showing the Okavango Delta, and our wildlife and culture would bring to life subjects such as Social Studies, Geography and History. We should remember that most of our pupils have a short attention span!
I remember that when I was at primary school we enjoyed reading books like Huckleberry Finn, The Silver Sword... But it seems that today our students are not encouraged to read or are not interested. Put simply, today’s children have a negative attitude to reading, which they too often carry into their adult lives. Part of the problem is that government now gives priority to Mathematics and Sciences. And it’s much easier to be sponsored for a BSc degree than a BA degree! Also, in many homes there may not be any books or magazines for children to read. If the UK can produce great authors such as Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and William Shakespeare, then why can’t we? But at least we now have some local home bred authors who are beginning to make a name for themselves!
Reading can assist students to develop writing skills. Many pupils cannot even construct a simple sentence, not only in English, but also in Setswana! When I supervised TCE students during their teaching practice, I would often glance at some of the answers that students gave in tests and examinations. Their written answers were so messed up and the grammar simply poor. On many occasions, I thought that perhaps they were making up a new language, were writing in tongues, or were too imaginative!
These days educationists tell us that our education system should cater for the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is dominated by digital technology. They say that our students need e-books and tablets in order to learn more effectively. And some politicians believe that government must provide each student with a tablet. In fact, recently government said that it will provide all learners with a mobile device by the year 2025. But tablets do not come cheap – P3,000 or more. And there are few countries in the world where government hands out tablets for free to all learners! That includes rich developed nations! Providing these gadgets will be a serious drain on the government’s already overstretched financial resources.
Now we can guess what might happen if students get the tablets for free. Being portable, they will use them for their own interests during study time, the tablets might get lost, broken or stolen, or pupils might even sell them! We must remember that e-books and tablets are only tools in the learning process and they are only useful if pupils know how to use them effectively in learning! And if pupils are not motivated, or even interested in learning, then they will still be ineffective. Perhaps parents should pay part of the cost of the tablets. In so doing, they will ‘own’ the tablet and so would be more likely to ensure that their children take proper care of them and use them wisely.
Many schools, even at primary level, are now being equipped with laptop computers. While this may be a good thing, laptops are more portable and more likely to be damaged by pupils than more permanent desktop computers.
