*Monarch school leads 2022 JC Top Achievers with two Merits
Located in the heart of one of the poorest locations in Francistown, over the years Mmei Junior Secondary School has rarely conjured images of excellence.
In fact, the school is often shunned by parents who view Monarch as a no-go area for their children.
Backed by increasingly impressive results, however, the tide of opinion is slowly changing.
“This perception will soon change. Most people don’t associate this area with anything good. We want to prove them wrong!” declared Mmei’s excited Deputy Headmaster, David Michael.
When Junior Certificate Results were released on Tuesday, the Monarch institution took credit for two of the 13 Merits achieved in Botswana – the only school in the entire country to record more than one!
Rising like roses from a concrete jungle, Tumo Shawn Zibotshwa and Ontiretse Molau have shone a spotlight on one of Francistown’s toughest neighbourhoods.
As well as bringing pride to Mmei, the two top achievers have become an instant inspiration to students from similar locations in Francistown, such as Bluetown, Somerset, Kgaphamadi and Maipafela: with hard work and dedication, anything is possible!
Although the school could only muster a top 25 finish overall, Deputy Michael is convinced a seed has been planted that will soon change the community’s view about his school.
Michael did not sound surprised by the results during his interview with The Voice, or if he was, he concealed it well. Indeed, the Deputy School head is adamant Mmei is well on its way to becoming one of the best schools, not just in the second city, but in the whole of Botswana.
“We dropped a bit in terms of overall position and pass rate. Last year we were in the Top 14 and this year we’re at 25 with a 53 percent pass rate. Our intention is to improve our overall standing and pass rate next year, while continuing to produce JC Top achievers,” he said.
Michael believes the results were made possible by the efforts of teachers and Parents and Teachers Association (PTA).
“It was all teamwork, with the support from the regional office. Another element that contributed to this is discipline. These two top achievers were the most disciplined students; it shows that discipline and good results are intertwined,” he exclaimed happily.
For his part, 15-year-old Zibotshwa, who told The Voice he aspires to be a Medical Scientist, said the support he received from his parents, teachers and study mates helped him to achieve this feat.
“I intend to pursue Add Maths, Accounting and Sciences at senior school,” said the humble teenager.
His proud father, Kenneth Zibotshwa described the young Shawn as an exceptional straight A student.
Kenneth explained that as the last born of four, the youngster was aiming for the bar set high by his siblings.
“In 2017, his elder brother was a Top Achiever, but he had a B. This motivated him so much and he aimed to do it with straight A’s, which he did” said a delighted Zibotshwa.
“It’s such a proud moment for us as his parents, because he had to go through an uncertain period due to Covid-19, and at some point he was also in isolation, so he did well,” concluded the dad, in possibly the understatement of the year!
Mmei has improved significantly in the last three years. In 2019, the school made it to the top 10 nationally and position three regionally after garnering a 59 percent pass rate.
The year before, a 51 percent pass rate was good enough for Mmei to rank 34th in the country.
In 2017, 2016 and 2015, the schooled registered 47.2 percent, 47.9 percent, and 50.4 percent pass rates respectively.