BEREA, Sept. 9 — The development of infrastructure for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and reception classes remains a priority for the Ministry of Education and Training as it seeks to ensure that Basotho children have access to foundational education.
Minister of Education and Training Professor Ntoi Rapapa said this on Wednesday when he officially handed over two facilities to Ntjabane Government Primary School, including a reception class and hand-washing and sanitation facilities.
Prof. Rapapa said the initiative was intended to ensure that children spend at least a year in reception classes, where they can interact and play with others while preparing for the transition to primary education.
He said the ministry was working to extend such facilities to schools across the country.
“If we now have 30 children in Ntjabane reception class, relatively out of 1,500 schools countrywide, and we attach a reception class with the same number of children, we are likely to record 50,000 children having access to early childhood care and education,” he said.
Prof. Rapapa acknowledged that the ministry faces challenges related to dilapidated infrastructure, with some schools lacking decent classrooms.
He said the ministry was, however, making efforts to address the challenges, adding that this year alone it had advertised tenders for the construction of 61 schools to improve access to education.
He assured the public that the awarding of tenders for school construction was conducted transparently, while also creating employment opportunities for local communities.
“The school belongs to the community and its children,” he said, urging community members to protect the facilities for future generations.
Prof. Rapapa said research had demonstrated that early childhood education plays an important role in nurturing children and preparing them to become future leaders.
He therefore urged parents to allow their children to attend school, while encouraging teachers to guide children instead of using corporal punishment to correct undesirable behaviour.
He also urged parents to invest in their children’s education rather than exposing them to early marriage and initiation schools at an early age.
Prof. Rapapa further appealed to the school administration and board to create time to establish a child-friendly playground for reception class learners.
Meanwhile, Teyateyaneng Constituency No. 24 Member of Parliament Mr. Lebona Lephema commended the government for providing the community with the much-needed facilities, saying the development was a major step towards improving the future of children.
Mr. Lephema urged learners to work hard, saying their future begins at school.
He also appealed to the Minister to incorporate career guidance into the education programme to help learners make informed decisions about their future careers, noting that unemployment remains a major challenge in the country.
“Organise some educational trips to various places in order to give your children workplace exposure,” he said.
Acting District Education Manager Mrs. Matholoana Sello said they had witnessed the handover of a reception class and sanitation facilities, describing the development as a milestone for the Ha-Ramonaheng community.
She urged the community to take responsibility for maintaining the facilities so that they could benefit generations to come.
For his part, Ntjabane Government Primary School Principal Mr. Tieho Eric Pali expressed gratitude to the government for investing in the future of the school’s children.
Mr. Pali said the new facilities would improve the lives of learners, teachers and parents in Ha-Ramonaheng.
He also thanked the World Bank for supporting the Government of Lesotho in improving education infrastructure, saying the partnership had brought hope to many schools, including Ntjabane.
“What you have done today is more than constructing a building; you have invested in the dreams of our children, strengthened our education system and restored dignity to our school,” he said.
Mr Pali said since 2008, when the reception class was attached to the school, learners had been accommodated in a room that was originally intended to serve as a school office, making learning difficult.
He said the new facility had brought an end to those challenges and provided learners with a more child-friendly environment.
He added that the school had also recently lost two teachers and a learner, including a teacher who served as the school choir conductor and another who was the vice-principal.
Despite welcoming the new facilities, Mr. Pali said the school was facing an increasing enrolment and appealed for another classroom block and a kitchen.
He also said the school was in urgent need of electricity to improve teaching and learning.
One of the Grade Seven learners, Mr. Khotso Mabu, described the Minister’s visit as a gesture of hope and care for learners at Ntjabane.
He said Prof Rapapa was a role model to them and that his presence inspired learners to work hard and pursue their dreams, including studying abroad.
Mr. Mabu said the new buildings were more than walls and bricks, describing them as a foundation for excellence and the learners’ future.
During the event, Prof. Rapapa also presented hygiene packs to the school.
Ntjabane Government Primary School has an enrolment of 645 learners.
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