Matshwane Primary School is situated on the outskirts of a growing village, Maun, the gateway to the world-renowned Okavango Delta. It is located in the remote northern part of Botswana, 500 km away from the nearest main center. The frontier village of Maun, meaning “place of reeds”, bustles with goats and donkeys, donkey carts, graceful Herero woman and a variety of different nationalities and cultures that settled here. Although still developing, Maun provides tourists with a variety of places to stay and wilderness lodges to visit. Here it is a mixture of new and developed technology, dominated by the many mud huts of yesteryear. It is still possible to hear the hippos grunting in the Thamalakane River, or silent elephants having left their tracks behind. The very existence of this unique village is that it borders the Okavango. A water system that originates in the mystic Angolan Highlands and meanders until panning out into the dry Kalahari Sands where it eventually disappears into the earth. This amazing system is the home to an abundance of wildlife that has attracted interesting and interested people for centuries.
It is a perfect environment in which to raise children, away from the influences and pressures of city life, yet, equipping them with the necessary skills to thrive in the changing world.
Matshwane Primary School was started in 1981 as a composite class by Mervyn Palmer. Due to the increasing population and parents not wanting to send their children away, Mervyn opened Matshwane, (meaning “Honey Badger”). This had humble beginnings in a small home on her property, still known as the ‘School House”. As the enrolment grew, and several moves later, it finally took ownership of its present location in 1993.
It has continued to grow and caters for children from a variety of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, thereby equipping them to thrive in any secondary educational system.
Matshwane is an English-Medium, Independent, Co-Educational School, catering for learners from Grade 00 (4 year olds) to Standard Seven. It is a proud member of the Conference of Heads of Private Schools in Botswana.
Continuous individual and group assessment is used at Matshwane. While it is important that the learner is being prepared to sit for "formal examinations", they are assessed on a continuous basis, using a variety of methods. The standard of work and assessment is in line with other private schools of Botswana. The Std 7 Children write the stipulated Botswana Primary School Examinations (PSLE). This examination includes English and Setswana (First Language only) Creative Writing Papers, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English, Moral and Religious Education, Agriculture and Setswana Papers written in October.
The school believes in the concept of a healthy body, a healthy mind and encourages each child to participate in at least one sport and club activity. They can choose from a range of activities such as tennis, hockey, netball, cricket, soccer and swimming to chess club, wildlife club, art club, music, etc.
