“On my taking over the chieftainship from my father… it was apparent to me that if any reform was to be introduced to adapt ourselves as a tribe to the new world conditions, the people must have some insight of the world around them; understand the forces that encircle them closer and closer and enable them to react to these forces. This understanding was lacking and was, in fact, very conspicuous by its absence. It became obvious that this understanding must be instilled and with the greatest possible speed….. thus in the first year of my regency in 1921 I started building the first elementary school on the top of a very picturesque hill where every brick and stick used for the building was carried up by our men and women of all ranks alike.”
These words were spoken 90 years ago in 1933 by Kgosi Isang Pilane of the Bakgatla in an address at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. The elementary school he was talking about was first called Bakgatla National School, combining both primary and secondary school education. It later became Isang Secondary School after it had removed the primary education aspect. As time went on, it changed its identity again and reverted to the primary education aspect doing away with the secondary education lessons. That was around the time when the independence of Botswana was around the corner.
Shortly before Bechuanaland changed its label to become the Republic of Botswana, secondary education was transferred to a primary school building and became known as Molefi Secondary School. That primary school building was known as the Middle School near the present district council buildings or rather near the main post office. When the independent government took over, it immediately embarked on a massive programme of taking over secondary educations from tribal government. Molefi Secondary moved to Boseja area of the village where it stands today, the old Molefi building assumed a new name. It became Seingwaeng Primary School. The many changes in names and venues mentioned here above may cause confusion in the reader’s mind. They are of historical importance and can therefore not be ignored.
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