12 Nov 2020

The Ministry of Basic Education is working on creating an enabling environment for eLearning.

Assistant Minister Nnaniki Makwinja told Parliament that the Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan had prioritised school digitisation and work had commenced to facilitate online tuition.

She said this required that learners and teachers be enabled through the provision of ICT gadgets, capacity building on ICT pedagogy, e-content development and internet connectivity.

Ms Makwinja explained that it was desirable to afford teachers modern workstations and equipment, technology and connectivity and funds permitting, all teachers should be able to use technology to teach by 2024.

She said there were currently 7 796 graduates with IT or computer science training from universities registered on government database under the DPSM.

She said those under the Ministry of Basic Education Unemployment Entry Level Graduate Database were 190 graduates with degrees in BSc (Science), BSc (IT), Bachelor of Business Information Systems, BSc (Computing) and its practice and PGDE.

She said her ministry had appointed 85 computer studies teachers to date.

She was responding to a question from Kanye North MP Mr Thapelo Letsholo who asked the minister to state how teachers were being enabled to offer tuition online so that in the event of pandemics, and natural disasters such as floods that disturb the normal access education was not disturbed.

He asked when teachers in Botswana would be afforded modern workstations and equipment with suitable technology and connectivity.

Mr Letsholo asked the minister the number of graduates with IT or computer science training on government database and what stopped them from being employed as ICT teachers in Botswana.

He also wanted to know when full conditions of service for teachers would be reviewed and improved. ENDS