27 Aug 2017

The country’s economy must transform from dependency on mineral resources to a skilled and knowledge based economy in order to compete globally, says Minister of Basic Education, Dr Unity Dow.

Addressing the Kweneng District Council recently, Dr Dow said outcome based education was a way to go for Botswana where focus was on life skills such as entrepreneurship, communications, creativity and innovation.

She said the other challenge was the mismatch between graduate skills and the needs of the industry. She added that there was need for the introduction of outcome based education which was competency focused that combined knowledge, skills and attitudes.

On other issues, she said government in recognition of delays in assessment of learners with special needs was in the process of having other special assessment centres in Mau and Francistown during NDP11 in order to speed up assessment.

On the challenge of transition from junior and secondary school levels to tertiary institutions, the minister said responsible ministries were modernising and strengthening colleges and brigades to address issues such as training of instructors and resourcing such institutions for them to effectively absorb learners on transition.

Dr Dow said government was concerned by the number of learners in the streets because they could not break into tertiary or college levels. She said government was investing even in back-to-school programmes and retooling both learners and teachers because they understood the cost of “ignorance” against the cost of providing education.

Dr Dow said together with her ministry, the ministries of tertiary education and skills development and youth empowerment would come with a plan to mop up youth rooming the streets because government understood that by investing in education, it was securing the future of the nation.

During comments, councillors raised concern over demotivated teachers moral and shortage of accommodation for teachers who were forced to commute long distances to school.

Councillors also complained that many schools in Kweneng District, especially those in peri-urban centres, were over stretched with some classes taught in the open and some classes with over 50 pupils. They argued that the situation contributed to the poor performance of such schools.

They, however, commended the Ministry of Basic Education for embracing outcome based education as a way to help the country diversify its economy by providing education that empowered learners.Ends