Boitekong Public School in the Meloding community, Virginia, has become a beacon of hope and academic excellence. The school has consistently excelled in Mental Maths, Social Science quizzes, and English Spelling Bees, with an impressive seven-year streak as Number 1 in the province for Mental Maths.
Mental Maths has become a staple at Boitekong, where students solve problems mentally, without paper or calculators. This challenging discipline requires sharp memory and focus.
Ofentse Stinane, a Grade 7 learner explains, “Volume refers to a containing space and the room available to hold something, volume equals LxHxW which means the formula calculates the volume by multiplying length, height and width together.”
The school’s stellar performance in Mental Maths has brought it national recognition, with students from Grades 4 to 7 participating in the competitions.
“The importance of maths vocabulary is that it’s essential for communicating ideas, building confidence and critical thinking. It is also important to understand calculating and divisions, subtracting and multiplying,” adds Ofentse.
For Bokamoso Ntoko, a Grade 7 learner, success comes down to preparation. “It was not easy, but I made it. There were other districts, and I needed to work hard and I made it for position 1 and I was happy.”
Coach Dimakatso Rammile has played a key role in instilling confidence in the students. “The confidence that I normally instill to them or our language is there is nothing that can beat them if they are willing to try,” she says.
However, the school faces challenges, particularly in bridging the language gap between Sesotho and English. Maths teacher Sabatho Thethani explains, “Because it’s a primary school based in the location sometimes it’s very difficult for our kids to excel in maths due to Sesotho to English.”
The support for the school is evident from the community, with Pulane Masheane, a parent, expressing pride. “They are very good at maths. So, we are proud to say, we, as parents, thank you Mme Rammile and your team for making us believe in our children.”
In addition to their success in Mental Maths, Boitekong’s learners have dominated in Spelling Bees.
Subject adviser Andries Mahloko notes, “They have been dominating. Even now we are going to change the competition because of them. Other districts cannot afford to win so we are very happy.”
Boitekong Public School’s success in these competitions highlights not only its students’ academic talents but also the strength and support of the community, shaping a brighter future for the entire Meloding area.
