Construction of a two classroom satellite school in Boro is expected to commence any time this month following almost a three year delay blamed on COVID 19 outbreak and tendering process.
Area Councillor, Kenson Kgaga of Boro-Senonnori ward and area Member of Parliament, Dumelang Saleshando of Maun West constituency confirmed in an interview this week that at least contractor is expected on site this month.
“They will have started construction before the end of February, that is what was presented at the council’s education committee this week. In fact the works should have started in January,” explained Kgaga.
The retiring councillor, Kgaga has been at the fore fighting for the rights of primary school learners from Boro who have to travel more than 18 kilometres by foot on daily basis to access education in the nearby tourism town of Maun.
Some of the children are as young as six years of age and have learnt to survive and walk past wild elephants and other wild animals in the bush to get to the already crowded Matlapana primary school.
For some time now, Kgaga and parents in Boro 1, Boro prison and Boro DRC have been calling for the construction of the school that will save the children from the gruelling journey, to and from school and in 2020 the then newly elected Maun West member of Parliament, Dumelang Saleshando agreed to set aside a little over P2 million from the constituency development fund for the construction of the school.
The council under the Constituency Community Projects (CPP) agreed to build the school in a central location, meaning those in Boro 1 and DRC still have to travel seven kilometres to get to school and this flies in the government policy that no child has to travel more than five kilometres to get to school.
North West district council’s chairperson for Finance Commitee, Luke Motlaleselelo noted that, although the two classroom blocks for standard one and two are not enough, they have to start from somewhere.
“It is not enough but we are grateful that the children will no longer have to walk through the rain, scotching sun and among wildlife to access their basic right to education.”
The school is expected to open doors for the new learners latest January 2024.
