10 Apr 2023

The Association of Non-Aligned Teacher Unions of Southern African (ANTUSA) games are a reminder of how sport and other co-curricular activities are important for sanity and health.

Giving a word of encouragement during the ANTUSA games in Maun on Friday, the Minister of Education and Skills Development Douglas Letsholathebe, assured BOSETU and other member affiliate trade unions of ANTUSA that with support from the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, sports activities would soon resume in schools.

He challenged teachers to ensure that the curriculum made room for such activities.

“We should revisit our timetables to ensure that sports activities are given the importance they deserve with regards to time, human resources and funding as they have sadly been put on the back burner,” he said.

Letsholathebe further noted that the global village called for a 21st-century learner.

And in order to deliver such responsive learners, there was a need to look beyond skills like literacy and learning to include life skills such as sport.

The minister expressed gratitude to see that ANTUSA was committed to skills transfer through benchmarking exercises and teacher exchanges between members of the affiliate trade unions.

“The commitment can help teachers adapt their teaching pedagogy to the demands of the 21st-century classroom,” he said.

For his part, sport minister, Tumiso Rakgare, said the Botswana National Sport Commission was also establishing sport development centres where volunteers would train the young athletes pending the start of sporting activities in schools.

“It is our hope that sport will return to schools in the near future for the benefit of the development of our children,” he added.

He said the Southern part of Africa was blessed to have ANTUSA games which brought countries together to showcase great sporting performances and also share their cultures.

Rakgare noted that sport promoted unity among people and recognised teachers for playing a significant role in the unveiling, nurturing and nourishing of sporting and cultural talents.

He said teachers were professionals that were regarded highly because of their multiple roles in moulding and shaping the future of young people. ENDS