15 Nov 2015

The Minister of Education and Skills Development Dr Unity Dow is back in the country after addressing the 38^th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) general conference in Paris. 

When addressing the conference she pledged Botswana’s commitment to the implementation of the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP) strategy in alignment to the framework for action 2030 which was adopted at the same conference.

“This alignment and mapping will cut across all the sustainable development goals to ensure that they are mainstreamed into national development strategies and are effectively implemented,” a statement from the ministry quotes the minister. 

Minister Dow explained that Botswana continues to allocate over 20 per cent of its annual national budget to education and continues to review its policies and programs in response to national priorities.

“The ETSSP is one such policy. This is underpinned, by among other focus on lifelong learning, developing new and alternative pathways for education strengthening skills development and improving quality, relevance, equity and access to education,” said Dr Dow.

She also lobbied for financial and technical assistance for this turnaround strategy from partners like UNESCO.

Dr Dow appreciated the technical and financial support the Government of Botswana has received from UNESCO which includes P166472.20 in support of the national consultations on education for sustainable development, national education for all review and the launch of the 2015 Global Monitoring Report.

In addition, Botswana received P214 609 00 over five years from UNESCO in collaboration with the Republican of South Korea through the BEAR project. 

She said the BEAR project goal is to address the mismatch between skills training and the needs of the labour market. Minister Dow further confirmed that Botswana will host the 10^th session of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ) Assembly of Ministers on November 26 and 27 in Gaborone.

SACMEQ coordinating centre currently operates from Botswana since January 1, having relocated from Paris.

Minister Dow also noted some of Botswana’s modest achievements across major programme areas such as social and human sciences, communication and information and natural sciences.

She explained this includes Botswana being a state party to the UNESCO International Convention against doping in sport, the listing of the Okavango Delta as the 1000^th World Heritage Site.

Also the development of the 2011 Botswana Policy on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation which highlights the demand for technology based solutions and an increase in production of local products and services.  Minister Dow arrived back home on Friday. Ends