22 Oct 2025

The implementation of education reforms is of paramount importance toward enhancing the quality of education and ushering in a new dawn with a renewed hope to transform the education system, says Maun West Member of Parliament, Mr Caterpillar Hikuama.

Debating the chapter on education in the draft National Development Plan 12 (NDP12) in Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Hikuama said the attainment of a diverse economy was dependent on the effectiveness of the country’s investments in education, learning and training, amongst others.

He said government should in its effort to transform the education sector, embark on an ambitious project to broaden the digital and innovation ecosystem. 

Such digital transformation, Mr Hikuama said would encompass some curriculum reforms with the aim to enhance the learning process at schools and make education more attractive and appealing to learners.

Mr Hikuama cautioned that a transformed economy demanded the adjustment of the curriculum to fit the desires of the global economy. 

He further said Botswana was most faced with glaring education inequalities stating that all too often, children who were born poor or in rural regions, faced extreme disadvantages in education, thus called for the improvement of education facilities in rural areas.

“When all children have an equal chance to obtain quality education, learning drives economic growth, fuels innovation and creates jobs. 

It equips countries and people with the skills they need to escape from poverty and build shared prosperity,” he said.

Shoshong MP, Mr Moneedi Bagaisamang expressed optimism for government to turn around the fortunes of the country’s ailing education system stating that Botswana’s education crisis demanded the urgent attention of political leaders and their aid partners.

He said it was unfortunate that the current ruling party had adopted a failing education system which continued to deteriorate over the years.

For his part, Thamaga/Kumakwane MP, Mr Palelo Mataosane said it was pleasing that the bulk of the draft NDP12 sector on education was aligned with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) manifesto with regard to reforming the education system and producing market ready graduates.

He nonetheless pleaded with government to prioritise teachers welfare and the maintenance of schools to improve the working conditions of teachers as well as implement affirmative action for teachers progression across the country. 

“It is disappointing that some teachers are stagnant in the same salary scale despite being acknowledged with national awards for hard work and producing better pass rates,’’ he said. 

Contributing to the debate, Mmadinare legislator, Mr Ketlhalefile Motshegwa indicated that government had a task to awaken and transform the country’s education system.

“As government we have a mammoth task to revolutionalise the education system inline with linking it to production as attributed to by Mr Patrick Van Rensburg when he talked of education with production,” he said.

Mr Motshegwa thus said there was need for the promotion of vocational training courses that were designed to prepare individuals for a vocation or a specialised occupation and were directly linked with the nation’s productivity and competitiveness.

He cautioned that vocational training had since its inception struggled to gain the recognition it deserves which has led to the widening gap between the supply and demand for skilled manpower across various industries. 

BOPA