IDM Country Director, Dr. Theophilus Mooko has lauded the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, North East Region, for hosting a successful 2025 Excellence Awards ceremony. The prestigious event was held on the 8th August at Mater Spei College under the theme: Redefining a Culture of Excellence; Empowering Botswana’s Future.

Dr Mooko further acknowledged the region for positioning itself as a centre of excellence, challenging the team to do more to support the Ministry’s efforts to achieve excellence.

He also called for greater participation from the business community and NGO partners, noting that Francistown’s private sector could do more to support the education sector, calling for sustained collaboration and innovation to keep the momentum going.

The awards ceremony celebrated students with outstanding achievements. It also aimed to unite key players in pursuit of excellence and shared commitment towards shaping future leaders.

Delivering the keynote address, Chief Executive Officer of Business Botswana, Mr. Norman Moleele, said there is urgent need to re-engineer, re-focus, and re-model educational practices to go beyond traditional measures of success.

Mr. Moleele defined excellence as a mindset of continuous growth, innovation, and integrity. He urged educators to implement diversified, learner-centred approaches that cater to different abilities and interests. From a business perspective, he highlighted the need for a curriculum that not only produces good examination results, but also equips learners with critical thinking, creativity, and leadership skills that will drive Botswana’s transformation agenda.

He concluded by applauding the unwavering dedication and support of teachers who thrive to produce high performing learners.

When welcoming guests earlier, Director of Regional Operations, North East Region, Mr. Labane Mokgosi, underscored the importance of strong educational foundations at the primary level as the cornerstone for long-term success. He emphasised the region’s practice of regular school visits to motivate educators and praised the vital role of parental involvement.