01 Mar 2013

The Study in Botswana programme, an initiative that promotes local institutions nationally and internationally, has generated P62 million in the year 2012/13, Minister of Education and Skills Development told Parliament.

Presenting the budget for her ministry, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said the figure was expected to increase this year. The Minister also indicated that the marketing team has conducted educational expos in six countries in the SADC region.

Regarding placement of tertiary education learners, she said figures have also been increasing consistently since 2010. That, she said, was because of the savings from implementing the Study in Botswana initiative.

She further told Parliament that the total placement per annum for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 was 7 210, 21 603 and 24 820 respectively.

“Out of these totals, local placement for those years was 6 800, 21 249 and 24 703 while external placement figures stood at 410, 354 and 117 respectively,” she said.

On out-of-school education and training, the minister told Parliament that the transformation of the Botswana College of Open and Distance (BOCODOL) into a tertiary open and distance learning (ODL) institute was beginning to change the tertiary education and training landscape.

Dr Venson-Moitoi added that the college was expected to significantly increase access to education and training opportunities in a more cost-effective way.

 “It will contribute to the development of a knowledge society as it has increased opportunities for people to learn while they are meaningfully engaged in other activities,” she said.

Further, the minister indicated that by the end of 2012, the college had enrolled 6 261 students; a number she said was expected to increase to about 8 000 by the end of the financial year given some programmes commencing in the last quarter.

She also reported that in 2012, BOCODOL graduated 546 students from its regular programmes which included Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees as well as Doctorate.

Again, she said by December last year, the college had facilitated completion by another 124 students from partnerships with the Pan-African e-network tele-education project and the Leeds Metropolitan University Masters in Leadership and Change management.

The college is said to have also introduced 10 new accredited short-courses and the Bachelors’ of Business and Entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Virtual University of the Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC).

Through partnership with the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI), the minister said the college has also introduced the Certificate in Community-based work with children and youth, targeting formal and non-formal sectors working with vulnerable children in Botswana.

The minister further said in the next financial year, the college will specifically focus on; consolidation of two schools of education and business management studies; introduction of the school of social sciences, which she said will bring the number of schools to three, while diversification of programmes were also projected to increase from 35 to 39.

Again, she said the college will also take over from government at least three institutional facilities in Francistown and Lobatse Colleges of Education and the former Brigades Development Centre (BRIDEC) in Gaborone to function as campuses of the. ENDS