Since the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Education and skills Development has been running adverts especially in the print media offering scholarships for most outstanding students.
From the adverts it is clear that the ministry has in place a programme to create a database and from it a pool of talent that can be developed and moulded into future leaders of this country.
The adverts caught our attention because they are in sync with an idea that we have adopted as a mantra over the last ten years or so; that of creating a big pool from which the nation can draw its future leaders.
We want to whole heartedly commend the government and the Ministry of Education in particular for having come around to see things from our perspective.
This is a long overdue idea. We can only hope that the idea will be well resourced and well sold to the nation so that as many Batswana as possible can buy into it.
As a country Botswana is currently suffering from a crisis that stems from a lack of leadership. From the look of things the situation will get worse before it gets any better ÔÇô especially in the medium to long terms.
It was not always like this.
Since independence Botswana has always had a very big and formidable pool from which to choose leaders. This was so because young people were from an early age prepared for future roles as leaders.
But along the way there was a lapse which led to breaking the continuum.
And that break has now caught up with us and the nation is paying a very heavy price.
And when we talk of leaders it must be clear that we are not just are referring to political leadership, but to all other fields as well.
In creating this pool of leaders focus should be the future, with clear emphasis on a strong leadership that will confront the global challenges as set out to take this country to another level in the next generation
These should not just be people who performed well at school.
It should be people who are well groomed to assume various responsibilities in our country; including but not limited to business, politics, community work, industry, trade, leadership, academia, international relations and public service.
We cannot emphasise strongly enough that when we say leadership, we are in no way confining ourselves to politicians.
We want to point out that while academic excellence is no doubt going to play an overarching influence in who ultimately joins this pool of excellence, there are other factors, call them platitudes if you want, that in our opinion should be considered.
These include passion, commitment and dedication.
It is our hope that under the programme, exceptionally promising young people will be mentored and guided with a clear objective of preparing them to in future assume various leadership positions in our society. Clearly this entails long term career development, but it should also as a major component include producing an individual whose attitude towards his/her nation and people is premised on absolute sympathy, dedication and empathy.
In coming with this programme, we hope the Ministry of Education will not lose sight of the importance of maintaining individuality and individual preferences for the candidates so that entrants are allowed space to choose and focus on those areas in which they feel more comfortable.
This is so because we can only get the best from these candidates if they are allowed to run on their strengths rather than to follow the narrow strip of those areas that the government feels there is a greater need.
In short a young person aspiring to become a mathematics teacher should not be coerced into becoming a doctor simply because they have high grades.
In developing this pool efforts should also be made to ensure that beneficiaries are not just confined to classrooms.
No effort should be spared in emphasing to them that big responsibilities await them.
Attributes of modesty, selflessness, honour and service should be instilled in so that they do not perceive themselves as a chosen few who are being prepared to rule the country.
Rather they should perceive themselves as young people who are being groomed to serve their country and people.
