- Xigera Safari Lodge donates chairs to alleviate furniture shortage
The double-shift teaching model currently in place at Tshwaragano Junior Secondary School is reportedly birthing more complications than solutions.
Speaking this week during a handover ceremony of plastic chairs donated by Xigera Safari Lodge, School head Lynett Setumo described the model as “worrisome” rather than impactful. She stressed that while the system was adopted to mitigate chronic shortages of infrastructure and furniture, the side effects are taking a toll on the institution.
The re-introduction of the double shift followed a massive surge in enrollment. Setumo highlighted that more than 500 Form 1 students were admitted this year—a sharp increase from the usual intake of fewer than 500. Currently, the school houses 1,429 learners: 504 in Form 1, 452 in Form 2, and 473 in Form 3.
“It is a population we have not dealt with in a long time; therefore, we had no choice but to re-introduce the double-shift system,” Setumo explained. She noted that the model had been scrapped years ago because it contributed to consistent exam failures.
According to the School Head, the system is deeply unpopular among students, teachers, and management alike. One of the most pressing issues is staff exhaustion. Teachers arrive at 6:30 AM and teach from 7:00 AM until 5:30 PM without a lunch break. Setumo warned that this leads to poor performance, as exhausted educators often deliver “distorted lectures” by the second shift. The grueling schedule has even impacted professional standards, with teachers abandoning formal attire for “smart casual” clothing to maintain comfort throughout the long day.
Discipline and school culture are also under threat. Setumo noted that it is increasingly difficult to monitor student behavior as cohorts arrive and depart at different intervals. General assemblies have been suspended, and the school environment was described as “chaotic,” with constant movement preventing students from socializing or participating in extracurricular activities.
The school’s resource crisis remains a major hurdle. Prior to the Xigera donation, the school had only 929 chairs for over 1,400 students, often forcing two learners to share a single seat. While the lodge’s donation of 100 chairs brings the total to 939, it remains insufficient. Setumo described the furniture situation as “disheartening and demoralising,” expressing fear that it will tank academic results.
Last year, Tshwaragano achieved a 17% pass rate. While the management committee is working to resolve the crisis and has reached out to various companies for help, the road to excellence remains steep. Setumo urged other businesses to follow Xigera’s lead and come to their rescue.
Echoing these concerns, Xigera Safari Lodge Assistant Human Resource Manager, Montshiwa Bakhiai, stated that of all the requests the lodge receives, ranging from school trips to stationery, Tshwaragano case was the most urgent.
He explained that although the chairs were purchased in Gaborone before schools closed, logistical delays pushed back on their arrival.
Bakhiai concluded by pledging that the lodge would seek further ways to assist in the long run, with the ultimate goal of seeing the school return to normal operating hours.
