31 Aug 2020

Ministry of Basic Education will during the remaining NDP 11 planning period strive to make schools more resilient to provide education under difficult circumstances of COVID-19.

This was said by Basic Education Minister, Mr Fidelis Molao, when presenting the ministry’s NDP11 Mid-Term Review in Parliament under the thematic areas of economy, employment and social upliftment.

He said the advent of COVID-19 had propelled the ministry to re-evaluate the status of schools with a view to make them safe for learning. In that regard, he said the ministry was exploring ways of expediting the integration of ICT in teaching and learning to minimise disruptions.

Furthermore, he said in response to the pandemic, the ministry had reduced class sizes to about 30 learners in order to accommodate social distancing during the pandemic and beyond.

“This has increased the number of classes in schools resulting in shifting,” he stated. Furthermore, he said the ministry’s NDP 11 Mid-Term Review proposed projects and programmes to be considered during the remaining part of the planning period include ministry’s computerisation projects at the tune of P452.3 million.

The projects to be implemented under the programme included procurement of computer equipment for 31 Senior Secondary Schools as well as kick starting the procurement of ICT gadgets for all learners to facilitate digitization of schools. 

Other projects include expansion of Local Area Network, Education Data Network and Education Management System (EMIS).

He said over P3.4 billion would be used for secondary Education projects which include electrification of primary schools that were outside the power grid, construction of staff houses, secondary schools maintenance, secondary school expansion, Mahupu Unified School additional works, Moeng College and Maun Senior Secondary Multiple Pathways projects and Maintenance of Burnt Facilities.

Other projects to be implemented during the remaining plan period are the construction of a Centre for Severe and Multiple Disability in Maun, and Refurbishment of Curriculum Development and Evaluation Building at the tune of P224 million.

The Ministry of Basic Education consultancies had been budgeted at P102million and projects entailed Streamlining of Emotional Intelligence, Development of Psychometric Tests, Post Literacy Skills Programs, Evaluation of Senior Secondary School Curriculum and the development of Special Education Policy.

About P102.9m was earmarked for Botswana Examination Council transformation project. BOPA