22 Aug 2018

Mphuthe Junior Secondary School students in Letlhakeng have been advised to take their education seriously before they could pursue any other interests and talents such as engagement in music.

Giving the students a word of advice at the Botswana folk guitar project workshop at Letlhakeng on August 21, Tomeletso Sereetsi of Sereetsi and the Natives informed them that nowadays music was business, and that business by its nature needs someone to be educated to understand its nitty-gritty.

“As a musician, you have to negotiate and sign contract agreements, and how will you manage that if you are not educated. So my advice to you is take your education seriously and pursue your other interests later, but in the meanwhile, you can continue honing your skills at fora like church and school choirs,” he said.

Chazha Mokgethi, a Science teacher at the school hailed the workshop as an opportunity for the students to learn from a renowned artist such as Sereetsi and the Natives.

“We appreciate this opportunity and we are humbled as a school because such a rare opportunity might add value to the lives of these kids in future, especially that we are not yet aware of where their future is headed,” he said.

Mokgethi also adviced the students that such opportunities should be taken with seriousness as it might be their future.

Another teacher, Lorato Mathaio also appreciated the opportunity to drill their school, especially that Kweneng region was well endowed in the arts such as poetry and music.

“We have well-known artists in this area such as Solly Sebotso, Speech Madimabe, Kgobola, Machesa and others. So it was only right that the workshop should be held here,” she said.

She said it was their hope that parents at home would support the students’ talents. For their part, the students were also jubilant for the opportunity, and one of them, Michael Ramontshonyana pleaded with the school management to set up a music club in the school especially that there were a lot of talented students such as singers, poets and dancers.

The 14-year-old form one student said that if the club could be formed, it would even boost the reputation of Mphuthe junior school and help especially students who were not academically gifted. ENDS