20 Sep 2018

Culture days have been hailed as a vital component of students’ academic lives as they help translate classroom theory into reality.

Speaking at a culture day at Gothibamang Primary School in Letlhakeng on September 19, principal education officer, Ms Chenesani Joseph said such events helped complement subjects such as Social Studies and Cultural Studies.

She said it was vital for students to learn aspects of their culture as it would help mould them into well rounded individuals who fit well into the rest of society.

She therefore urged students to take such events seriously as they did their conventional classroom lessons.

Ms Joseph applauded parents for sacrificing their time to share aspects of their culture with pupils, which included among others procedures for conducting a traditional wedding as well as explaining traditional cuisine such as lengangale and letshotlho.

She stressed the need for parents to work closely with teachers to ensure that things taught to pupils during culture days reflected the proper culture.

Gothibamang school head, Ms Nyaladzo Kgetse indicated that the culture day was one of the many activities they organised to pass practical education to students.

She said this was after they realised that pupils grasped concepts better when they were practically presented to them.

“The timing was also such that the event should be held when students, especially the Standard Sevens are about to write their final examinations, and we hope this will go a long way in assisting them. Such events should not be considered a waste of time as some may think,” she said.

Ms Kgetse said that the culture day was the second the school had organised, and applauded staff for their commitment towards keeping culture alive among students.

She said such a determination saw staff constructing a kgotla in the school, which was used for many cultural activities.

Cultural Studies senior education teacher, Mr Thatayaone Mokgweetsi indicated that in this era where cultural aspects such as traditional foods are no longer a daily part of household lives, it was vital to organise practical events like culture days in schools.

“Years ago things such as traditional food, mainane, maele and others were part and parcel of everyday lives. Therefore it was not that vital to be taught at school, but things have since changed and we now have to practically instill it at school,” he said. ENDS