07 Apr 2022

The Ministry of Basic Education is set to implement some aspects of the General Education, Curriculum and Assessment Framework (GECAF).
Responding to a parliamentary question recently, assistant minister, Ms Naniki Makwinja explained that the General Education, Curriculum and Assessment Framework was designed under the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP), as a way of guiding the transformation agenda for basic education.

“The ministry is implementing aspects of the General Education, Curriculum and Assessment Framework including its associated education pathways and piloted with phase one at Moeng College and Maun Senior Secondary School.
Phase two will commence in 2023 followed by phase three in 2024,” Ms Makwinja said.

She added that the ministry was capacitating teachers in the phase two subjects including teachers for English Language, Setswana and Sciences, which were due to be introduced during phase three.
“To date 257 teachers and 20 trainer of trainers have been capacitated in outcome-based education pedagogy and assessment.

In addition, 10 modules on school leadership and management have been developed with 25 trainers of trainers having been trained across all the 10 education regions.
Our Senior Secondary Schools have the minimum syllabus requirements for these subjects,” she added. Notwithstanding, she indicated that the ministry was planning to augment the available resources during the 2022/2023 financial year.

She added that they were also implementing a major reform in the Training Sector Strategic Plan, which was cutting across all ministry departments and divisions.
“Our budget is, therefore, committed to implementing these reforms.
The ministry has adequate budget to expand and maintain schools as well as introduce e-learning as part of the digitisation of education,” she said.

She further indicated that provision of additional teaching and learning resources had been prioritised for the phases one and two subjects during the 2022/2023 financial year.
Again, she told Parliament that the General Education, Curriculum and Assessment Framework also required the ministry to implement 12 years of basic education for all.
“In this regard, all secondary schools will offer educational pathways and a good number of them will offer Form One to Form Five, but it is not necessary that all junior secondary schools convert to offer Form One to Form Five for the implementation of Training Sector Strategic Plan,” she explained.

Meanwhile, she said the Training Sector Strategic Plan was an education sector wide reform and impacted all aspects of education and skills development.
Mr Christian Greeff, Member of Parliament for Gaborone Bonnington South, had wanted to know when the roll out of the Training Sector Strategic Plan  to the remaining schools, other than Moeng College and Maun Senior Secondary School would be effected, since the approval by Cabinet was in 2015.

Mr Greeff also wanted to appreciate progress made so far regarding retooling of teachers as well as equipping remaining schools with the necessary tools to keep pace with the dictates of the programme and curriculum.

Further, the legislator wanted to know the level of financial preparedness to support the initiative and if it was not necessary to unify all secondary schools for them to assist in the implementation of Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan. ENDS