26 Aug 2024

History was made last week when the Minister of Education and Skills Development, Honourable Douglas Letsholathebe, unveiled the Learning Passport, ushering in a new era of digital education in Botswana.

Designed specifically for Botswana’s schools, this ground-breaking platform promises to revolutionise the way pupils learn, offering personalised, interactive lessons that are both engaging and effective.

With the nation’s focus firmly set on the outcome-based education system, Minister Letsholathebe outlined the key features and benefits of the Botswana Learning Passport.

“The Learning Passport is designed to provide quality education through a wide range of services, from hosting content for all subjects in the curriculum, to offering e-library services, revision materials, and even learner performance tracking,” he explained.

“This platform is not just a tool for teachers, but for learners as well, empowering them with digital technology and 21st-century skills to become active participants in their own education.”

Minister Letsholathebe’s unwavering passion for education and equality shone through as he spoke of the positive impact the Botswana Learning Passport would have on the nation’s youth.

“The Botswana Learning Passport is a ground-breaking initiative that strives to provide accessible and quality education to all children, particularly those in disadvantaged communities,” he said.

He also said the programme was a tool that would help the nation achieve its global education goals and ensure that every child, regardless of their circumstances, had equal access to the best education possible.

He explained that the platform, developed in partnership with UNICEF, was designed specifically for local schools, promoting flexible learning and ensuring education continuity, regardless of the learner’s location.

He emphasised that the platform was meant to supplement both formal and non-formal education programmes, providing a diverse array of interactive learning resources that could be accessed via mobile devices and computers.

Minister Letsholathebe also discussed the accessibility of the Botswana Learning Passport, revealing that it was already available in its online form for use in schools and that an offline version was on the way, ensuring that learners in areas with limited or no internet connectivity would also be able to access the platform’s educational content.

UNICEF representative to Botswana and SADC, Dr Joan Matji, underlined the remarkable impact the Learning Passport has had on global education.

“As of January, the Learning Passport has expanded to 38 countries worldwide, reaching an impressive six million users and offering a staggering 13 000 courses,” she stated, painting a picture of a platform that was rapidly reshaping the way education was accessed and delivered across the globe.

Applauding the ministry’s forward-thinking approach, Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture, Honourable Tumiso Rakgare,, said it was truly admirable to see the ministry adapting to the changing world through digitization.

“The e-learning initiative is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Mr Rakgare said not only does it promote flexibility and accessibility, but ‘it’s also a cost-effective solution’.

With Smartbots network connectivity available in public spaces, he said, learners can access the platform and resources even if they don’t have internet at home.

The introduction of the Learning Passport marks a significant milestone in Botswana’s education system, promising to revolutionise the way pupils learn, ensuring they have equal access to quality education and the resources needed to succeed in today’s ever-evolving world.

And the  new wave of interactive, digital learning is making its way into Botswana’s classrooms.

Thanks to the launch of the Learning Passport, the likes of Lesego Nkile and Kaone Seele are thrilled.

A pupil at Mogoditshane Senior Secondary School, Lesego has been one of the first to experience the perks of this modern educational platform, and he can’t speak highly enough of it.

“The digital platform is so much better than the old way of learning,” he said.

Lesego and his classmate Kaone, along with their physics  teacher, Mr Shain Vyomakesan, got a first-hand taste of how the e-learning digital platform could enhance a typical physics lesson.

Together, they demonstrated how to measure the period of a pendulum in a traditional classroom setting, and then carried out the same experiment within the digital platform.
As Lesego and his classmate marveled at the interactive graphs and animations, it was clear that this new method of learning was a hit.
After the experiment Lesego  and his classmate were excited to talk about what the new learning platform had to offer.
“The best thing about it is that you can access lessons anytime, anywhere,” said Kaone.

“And, with the personalisation features, you get your own customised learning experience, which makes it super easy to learn at your own pace.”

For Lesego, the platform offers a variety of additional benefits among them reduced material costs, more interactive lessons, age-inclusive content, and flexibility that lets one learn when and where they want.   

Lesego was also particularly impressed by the immediate feedback the digital platform offered.

“You can see the results of your work right away,” he said.

“Plus there’s no more running around from class to class, you can get everything you need right here,” he said.

Think of the Learning Passport as a personalised, interactive version of Coursera, tailored specifically for Botswana’s classrooms with a user-friendly interface that caters for a wide range of learners from learners to teachers to parents and other interested parties.  

This digital platform provides an engaging, adaptive learning experience.

The digital lessons are packed with interactive graphs, animations, and practical exercises, allowing learners like Learners and Kaone to dive deep into their subjects.

The platform even tracks each user’s performance, offering personalised feedback and insights as well as fun games that keep learners hooked and eager to learn more. ENDS