19 May 2026

Concerns over the growing number of children with undetected learning disabilities in the North West District dominated discussions at the just ended four-day Early Childhood Development training that took place in Maun.

Educators, government officials and child development specialists called for early intervention and increased parental awareness to prevent vulnerable learners from being left behind.

The training, organised by UNICEF Botswana in partnership with the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, and the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, brought together teachers, centre managers and early childhood practitioners to strengthen quality learning systems for young children.

However, beyond discussions on curriculum development and classroom practices, participants repeatedly highlighted the silent struggles faced by children whose developmental and learning challenges were often ignored, misunderstood or discovered too late.

UNICEF Education Specialist, Ms Leseka Mokokomani, led discussions around learning disabilities and developmental delays, encouraging educators to pay closer attention to behavioural patterns and academic struggles that may signal underlying challenges.

Social Worker at Tshidilo Stimulation Centre, Ms Tagwa Chanke, shared that many children in the North West District progressed through several school levels without proper assessment or intervention, only for learning difficulties to be identified much later in their academic journey.

She revealed that many parents were in denial when concerns were raised about their children, while others lacked sufficient knowledge to recognise signs of developmental disorders at an early stage.

“Learners are often wrongly labelled as stubborn, lazy or disruptive when in reality they require specialised educational support and this needs to be taken seriously in our schools,” she said.

Ms Chanke stressed that early identification and intervention remained critical in improving learning outcomes and emotional wellbeing for children with developmental challenges.

She said delays in recognising learning disabilities often affected children’s confidence, classroom participation and long-term educational performance.

Principal education officer for North West District, Ms Veronica Ridge, said teachers needed practical skills to identify vulnerable learners early and create supportive classroom environments that accommodate children with different learning needs.

She highlighted that the training would enhance and equip early childhood teachers with the skills to be able to better handle children with learning disabilities and enable them to identify such learners early for early interventions.

For her part, representative from the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Ms Maureen Selwe, emphasised the importance of immediate intervention in cases involving child abuse or neglect, noting that trauma can also affect a child’s cognitive and emotional development.

She said greater collaboration between teachers, parents, health professionals and communities was necessary to ensure children with learning disabilities were identified early and given the support they needed before falling permanently behind in school. ends