BY: G.S KALANKE
Members of the public showered the Ministry of Education and Skills Development with accolades for releasing the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) results using the cellphone short message system( sms). Elated members of the public expressed their gratitude during the Radio Botswana ( RB 1) Masa-sele phone in show on the 12th February 2010. To enquire about the results, one only had to type the name and surname of the child and send the sms to 73000198 and within minutes the results would be displayed in the sms box. The sms cost only 30t
Parents and other family members called from as far as Maun and Ghanzi to explain how the new system had relieved them of the trouble of travelling long distances to enquire about the results of their children. In the past parents who reside in more remote areas were forced to travel to the senior secondary schools where the results were pinned on the notice boards. 'We really appreciate what the ministry of education has done for us', one caller said, 'we always say negative things about the ministry but this time I think we should give credit where it is deserved'.
Mr Rapulane who said that he was calling from some cattle post in the Kgatleng district could not believe it when he was shown how to access the results of his two children from the cattle post. He called it 'a step in the right direction'. He said that he was happy that he did not have to leave his cattle unattended to go and enquire about the results of his children in the village.
The facility was used to enquire about the 31 000 students who sat for the examinations.
The Ministry has also used the sms facility to publicise the Form 4 Admissions. Just like with Examination results, one only had to type in the name and surname of the child and wait for some few minutes to get the information about where the child was admitted. Equally the parents were very excited about this development. One parent explained that this system reduced the anxiety of knowing where ones child is admitted. ' Infact I could immediately start buying the school uniform as I already knew the colours to buy. In the past , one had to wait for the letter from the school which sometimes took ages to arrive', she elaborated.
Out of 40.451 candidates who had sat for the Junior Certificate Examinations, 21.850 were admitted into the 28 Senior Secondary Schools country wide.
The cellphone facility is directly linked to the ministry website. The same information that one can get from the cellphone can be accessed using the website. For the website, one still types in the surname and name of the child (to request about admissions or examination results) at www.moe.gov.bw. This service has also made the public very happy. An arrangement has been made for those people who do not have access to computers. The remote villages have been provided with facilities called Kitsong Centres. These centres are equipped with both the technological and human resources.
The long term plan is for the Ministry is to use the sms and website facilities for as many services as possible. The immediate plan is to use them for the Sponsorship applications and Teacher employment notifications. The main objective for this, of course, is to take services to the people in the most efficient and cost effective manner. This is a government initiative geared at the provision of on-line services through the e-government project.
Members of the public showered the Ministry of Education and Skills Development with accolades for releasing the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) results using the cellphone short message system( sms). Elated members of the public expressed their gratitude during the Radio Botswana ( RB 1) Masa-sele phone in show on the 12th February 2010. To enquire about the results, one only had to type the name and surname of the child and send the sms to 73000198 and within minutes the results would be displayed in the sms box. The sms cost only 30t
Parents and other family members called from as far as Maun and Ghanzi to explain how the new system had relieved them of the trouble of travelling long distances to enquire about the results of their children. In the past parents who reside in more remote areas were forced to travel to the senior secondary schools where the results were pinned on the notice boards. 'We really appreciate what the ministry of education has done for us', one caller said, 'we always say negative things about the ministry but this time I think we should give credit where it is deserved'.
Mr Rapulane who said that he was calling from some cattle post in the Kgatleng district could not believe it when he was shown how to access the results of his two children from the cattle post. He called it 'a step in the right direction'. He said that he was happy that he did not have to leave his cattle unattended to go and enquire about the results of his children in the village.
The facility was used to enquire about the 31 000 students who sat for the examinations.
The Ministry has also used the sms facility to publicise the Form 4 Admissions. Just like with Examination results, one only had to type in the name and surname of the child and wait for some few minutes to get the information about where the child was admitted. Equally the parents were very excited about this development. One parent explained that this system reduced the anxiety of knowing where ones child is admitted. ' Infact I could immediately start buying the school uniform as I already knew the colours to buy. In the past , one had to wait for the letter from the school which sometimes took ages to arrive', she elaborated.
Out of 40.451 candidates who had sat for the Junior Certificate Examinations, 21.850 were admitted into the 28 Senior Secondary Schools country wide.
The cellphone facility is directly linked to the ministry website. The same information that one can get from the cellphone can be accessed using the website. For the website, one still types in the surname and name of the child (to request about admissions or examination results) at www.moe.gov.bw. This service has also made the public very happy. An arrangement has been made for those people who do not have access to computers. The remote villages have been provided with facilities called Kitsong Centres. These centres are equipped with both the technological and human resources.
The long term plan is for the Ministry is to use the sms and website facilities for as many services as possible. The immediate plan is to use them for the Sponsorship applications and Teacher employment notifications. The main objective for this, of course, is to take services to the people in the most efficient and cost effective manner. This is a government initiative geared at the provision of on-line services through the e-government project.
Members of the public showered the Ministry of Education and Skills Development with accolades for releasing the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) results using the cellphone short message system( sms). Elated members of the public expressed their gratitude during the Radio Botswana ( RB 1) Masa-sele phone in show on the 12th February 2010. To enquire about the results, one only had to type the name and surname of the child and send the sms to 73000198 and within minutes the results would be displayed in the sms box. The sms cost only 30t
Parents and other family members called from as far as Maun and Ghanzi to explain how the new system had relieved them of the trouble of travelling long distances to enquire about the results of their children. In the past parents who reside in more remote areas were forced to travel to the senior secondary schools where the results were pinned on the notice boards. 'We really appreciate what the ministry of education has done for us', one caller said, 'we always say negative things about the ministry but this time I think we should give credit where it is deserved'.
Mr Rapulane who said that he was calling from some cattle post in the Kgatleng district could not believe it when he was shown how to access the results of his two children from the cattle post. He called it 'a step in the right direction'. He said that he was happy that he did not have to leave his cattle unattended to go and enquire about the results of his children in the village.
The facility was used to enquire about the 31 000 students who sat for the examinations.
The Ministry has also used the sms facility to publicise the Form 4 Admissions. Just like with Examination results, one only had to type in the name and surname of the child and wait for some few minutes to get the information about where the child was admitted. Equally the parents were very excited about this development. One parent explained that this system reduced the anxiety of knowing where ones child is admitted. ' Infact I could immediately start buying the school uniform as I already knew the colours to buy. In the past , one had to wait for the letter from the school which sometimes took ages to arrive', she elaborated.
Out of 40.451 candidates who had sat for the Junior Certificate Examinations, 21.850 were admitted into the 28 Senior Secondary Schools country wide.
The cellphone facility is directly linked to the ministry website. The same information that one can get from the cellphone can be accessed using the website. For the website, one still types in the surname and name of the child (to request about admissions or examination results) at www.moe.gov.bw. This service has also made the public very happy. An arrangement has been made for those people who do not have access to computers. The remote villages have been provided with facilities called Kitsong Centres. These centres are equipped with both the technological and human resources.
The long term plan is for the Ministry is to use the sms and website facilities for as many services as possible. The immediate plan is to use them for the Sponsorship applications and Teacher employment notifications. The main objective for this, of course, is to take services to the people in the most efficient and cost effective manner. This is a government initiative geared at the provision of on-line services through the e-government project.
Members of the public showered the Ministry of Education and Skills Development with accolades for releasing the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) results using the cellphone short message system( sms). Elated members of the public expressed their gratitude during the Radio Botswana ( RB 1) Masa-sele phone in show on the 12th February 2010. To enquire about the results, one only had to type the name and surname of the child and send the sms to 73000198 and within minutes the results would be displayed in the sms box. The sms cost only 30t
Parents and other family members called from as far as Maun and Ghanzi to explain how the new system had relieved them of the trouble of travelling long distances to enquire about the results of their children. In the past parents who reside in more remote areas were forced to travel to the senior secondary schools where the results were pinned on the notice boards. 'We really appreciate what the ministry of education has done for us', one caller said, 'we always say negative things about the ministry but this time I think we should give credit where it is deserved'.
Mr Rapulane who said that he was calling from some cattle post in the Kgatleng district could not believe it when he was shown how to access the results of his two children from the cattle post. He called it 'a step in the right direction'. He said that he was happy that he did not have to leave his cattle unattended to go and enquire about the results of his children in the village.
The facility was used to enquire about the 31 000 students who sat for the examinations.
The Ministry has also used the sms facility to publicise the Form 4 Admissions. Just like with Examination results, one only had to type in the name and surname of the child and wait for some few minutes to get the information about where the child was admitted. Equally the parents were very excited about this development. One parent explained that this system reduced the anxiety of knowing where ones child is admitted. ' Infact I could immediately start buying the school uniform as I already knew the colours to buy. In the past , one had to wait for the letter from the school which sometimes took ages to arrive', she elaborated.
Out of 40.451 candidates who had sat for the Junior Certificate Examinations, 21.850 were admitted into the 28 Senior Secondary Schools country wide.
The cellphone facility is directly linked to the ministry website. The same information that one can get from the cellphone can be accessed using the website. For the website, one still types in the surname and name of the child (to request about admissions or examination results) at www.moe.gov.bw. This service has also made the public very happy. An arrangement has been made for those people who do not have access to computers. The remote villages have been provided with facilities called Kitsong Centres. These centres are equipped with both the technological and human resources.
The long term plan is for the Ministry is to use the sms and website facilities for as many services as possible. The immediate plan is to use them for the Sponsorship applications and Teacher employment notifications. The main objective for this, of course, is to take services to the people in the most efficient and cost effective manner. This is a government initiative geared at the provision of on-line services through the e-government project.
