09 Aug 2022

Stakeholders have called upon government to accelerate implementation of existing policies.

When making submissions during the United Nations transforming education summit in Maun on Monday, stakeholders said implementation of policies could raise the national education targets.

They said some sound polices, which could change the education system, had long been developed, but implementation remained a challenge.

They cited the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ESSTP 2015-2020) as one example. 

The plan seeks to refocus education and training towards fulfilment of social and economic aspirations identified in the Revised National Policy of Education, the National Development Plan and Vision 2016 as well as the Millennium Development Goals.

While they appreciated implementation of phase one of the plan, they called on the government to up the game, saying the plan had potential to transform the education system. 

One of the participants, Mr Jayson Kazombungo, who is the director of Thuso Rehabilitation Centre, said government should expedite implementation of the plan and ensure it produced the expected outcomes.

He appreciated that the plan intended to strengthen qualifications and labour market requirements match, thereby ensuring that education outputs were more aligned to future employment needs.

Mr Kazombungo also decried delay in development of the Language Policy intended to encourage the introduction of local languages in schools. 

Mr Kazombungo said the policy could also contribute to realisation of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) and Vision 2036 ideals of a moral, tolerant and inclusive society that provides opportunities for all.

He said lack of continuity and coordination in the system also hindered government efforts to achieve some interventions, adding new leadership tended to discontinue plans and policies instead of ensuring continuity. 

The stakeholders focused on four thematic areas being; recovery from COVID-19 disruption, transforming education, review of national education targets and benchmarks as well as ensuring sustainable public financing. 

With regard to recovery from COVID-19 disruption, Botswana Open University campus manager in Maun, Mr Keorapetse Maokaneng appreciated that a lot had been done in schools.

He cited the recruitment of safety health eEnvironment (SHE) officers, improvement of hygiene in schools, installation of hand washing basins, inducting learners to appreciate COVID-19 issues and prevention strategies.

Mr Maokaneng also acknowledged that social distancing in classrooms was observed and that student/teacher ratio was reduced to ensure compliance to COVID-19 protocols. He noted that more could be done to enhance social support by strengthening programmes offered by guidance and counselling units in schools and suggested that government should consider bringing parents on board to play parental role. 

He also called on government to end friction between teachers unions and schools management.

Mr Maokaneng also proposed that government should empower school heads to hire and fire or else privatise schools, saying that could also improve management and competition. Government was also advised to explore other methodologies of teaching to improve the curriculum. 

He noted that digitisation was not optional, stressing that all had to adapt to it to be resilient as a nation and catch up with the world.

He also called for regulation of private tutorial centres, which he described as critical stakeholders in the education system, but had become potential places of abuse for children as they were not regulated.

The stakeholders’ submissions would form part of Botswana’s representation during the United Nations Transforming Education Summit billed for September. ends