21 Jul 2019

Government should invest in capacitating teachers to make them at par with modern education challenges and facilitate the teaching of new content says Molepolole South MP, Dr Tlamelo Mmatli.

Commenting on the Botswana Teaching Professionals Council Bill debate in Parliament, Dr Mmatli said the Bill should not only seek to provide for regulation of the teaching profession as well as the enrolment and regulation of the teaching profession at pre-primary and secondary level, but should expand the scope of the proposed Bill.

He said teachers were fundamental to the development of education and no country could achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital.

Dr Mmatli said that there had been an improvement in the education sector over the years adding that the ministry should, however regard lack of monitoring and evaluation as the major contributing factor to implementing some of the policies in place.

“One of the major challenges that hinders positive results in schools has to do with leadership hence the ministry should  be focusing on empowering leaders at schools and regions on how best to be results orientated and ensure that there is monitoring and evaluation of education process in the strive to improve pupils results,” he said.

The Ministry of Basic Education, he said should strive to implement some of the critical reform programmes aimed at enhancing both access and quality of education in line with the local and global demands.

Central to these reforms, he said should be the introduction of multiple pathways where senior secondary level students would pursue subjects of their interests and capabilities through an outcome-based curriculum.

He said graduates should not be pigeonholed by their degree subject, but should be able to work in different career fields contribute to the country’s economic growth.

Ghanzi North MP, Mr Noah Salakae decried that access to primary school was not universal since the majority of students particularly in rural areas did not complete the primary education hence in order to address these problems, government needed to set up a program for the development of the education sector.

The  aim of such  program, he said should be  to achieved universal completion of primary education and  promote a holistic approach to achieve the overall improvement of the education system, including all levels of education, and addressing key educational issues, such as life skills and functional literacy and education system management.

He said the development of community education programs, particularly at primary level, had allowed for a noticeable growth of the system. Ends