ON MY HONOUR
Scout movement fights indiscipline in schools
Dikwididi Primary School in the Kgatleng District has been recognised for being the second all-scouts school in the world after a school in Kenya, in East Africa.
This accolade, according to Chief Scout, Ezekiel Malenya, is achieved following Botswana Scouts Association’s decision to have scouts recruit and train a full primary school, starting from Standard One up to Standard Seven pupils, including the school head, teachers and non-teaching staff and security guards.
All of these were enrolled in scout to reset the discipline and characterbuilding in the school, according to Malenya.
Malenya told The Midweek Sun that they decided to train the Dikwididi Primary School community in one of the most forgotten remote areas in the Kgatleng district. They also observed that the school had the most ill-disciplined children in the area. “We started training at the school in 2020 because of the high indiscipline and low performance. I am happy to say our efforts have paid off because from a pass rate as low as 23 percent, and 40 percent, the school registered a pass rate of 91 percent in the last 2020 Primary School Leaving Examination results”, Malenya says. According to Malenya, the Scout Movement is a cradle for character formation, mentorship and is a leading organisation in skills-basedtransformative education and character formation for the young people in Botswana and the world at large.
He adds that in scouting they ensure that they do not push boys and girls into moulds that are created assuming that all children have similar interests, skills, and proficiencies. “Scouts choose areas of interest to them and those that impact their growth, that of the community and Botswana at large”, he said. Malenya said Dikwididi Primary School has made scouting their way of life in their school.
“We hope the ministries concerned with education and youth in the country will support other schools to reach the level of Dikwididi primary school”, he said. The director at the Kgatleng Education Regional Office, Mothusi James confirms the positive impact that the Scouts Movement has had on the school in general.
“The level of responsibility and accountability has significantly improved in the school community,” says James, adding that on the part of students, late coming and absenteeism has reduced as a result of the emphasis of discipline from the Scout Association.
He also confirms that the school has seen a significant improvement in academics, despite attaining a 64 percent pass rate in the 2021 PSLE results from 91 percent.
He attributes the drop to the fact that the school received more completing students from its farming community late into the year.
Speaking at the launch of the Re-set on Character Building and Discipline in Children, Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Annah Mokgethi said her vision is that young boys and girls in Dikwididi and in Botswana will benefit from the Re-Set approach currently championed and led by Botswana Scout Association. “Scouts demonstrated their capability when it comes to discipline. We know their efforts of discipline and study camps across the country have borne fruits in schools like Matsha College in Kang,” she said. Regarding concerns of Gender-Based Violence, Mokgethi said society should not be allowed to inculcate negative masculinity or extreme feminism. “I call upon all parents and community to raise children who know and appreciate that violence is not an acceptable way to solve family and social misunderstanding”, she said, adding that society should have a culture of zero tolerance for bullying.
Botswana Scouts is the largest educational youth organisation based on its value system and fundamental principles embedded in its laws and promise. The movement was established in 1907, and to date has a membership of over 25 000 children and youth membership in Botswana.