16 Aug 2017

Botswana has been commended for making efforts in implementing quality education programmes as per the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) request.

UNESCO mandates each country to earmark at least 20 per cent of its national budget to education.

An expert in rural development from the Okavango Research Institute, Prof Toyin Kolawole praised the country during the North West region excellence awards held under the theme: Learner excellence through partnership treasuring the present, shaping the future.

He said Botswana has committed a large chunk of its national budget to the development of the education sector.

He noted that in 2015, government allocated 28.1 per cent of its recurrent expenditure to the education sector, adding that “to be precise, the then Ministry of Education and Skills

Development was allocated a total of P10.31 billion that year.”
In 2017/18, Prof Kolawole said the amount committed to education was about P11 billion which accounted for 27.8 per cent of the budget.

He noted that it was far beyond the required 20 per cent stipulated by UNESCO.

He added that education in all its forms was a bedrock of development, and that other African governments needed to double their efforts in implementing quality education programmes in order to take part in the global economic frontiers.

He also noted that Botswana had come up with the pathways model which aimed to address challenges faced by the education sector.

He said it emphasised on outcome based education, as it started by focusing on identified priority economic sectors.
Prof. Kolawole also noted that the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) was aimed at achieving quality education by ensuring inclusive and equitable quality  education as well as promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

He said in the contemporary world it was almost impossible to achieve any tangible milestones without quality education.

He added that quality education was a means through which individuals were able to actualise their potential, and that education enabled one to become what they want in life.
He congratulated all the top achievers, noting that it took commitment and dedication to achieve great results.

“You should consider yourselves lucky to have been selected amongst other students for awards, and I urge you to motivate others,” he said. Ends