05 Aug 2026

Classrooms across Botswana are set to benefit from a new P600,000 funds injection that the United Nations Children’s International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) awarded to the Botswana Teaching Professionals Council (BOTEPCO) to fast-track the professionalisation of local educators.

The collaboration, a formalised partnership through a Joint Work Plan aims at advancing teacher leadership and continuous education and modernising classrooms through safe digital spaces.

Speaking at the launch, acting UNICEF representative for Botswana, Dr Kimanzi Muthengi highlighted that BOTEPCO’s mandate and UNICEF’s vision were mutually aligned through shared goals of inclusive education and quality teaching.

“BOTEPCO promotes continuous professional development, supporting UNICEF's mission to ensure every child realises their right to equitable, high-quality schooling. Furthermore, BOTEPCO regulates professional and ethical standards for educators, aligning with UNICEF's vision that effective teachers are the core drivers of student success and educational transformation,” he said.

Dr Muthengi further highlighted that the investment in teacher development subscribed to UNICEF’s principle of investing in environments that ensured all children existed in an ecosystem that was safe and protected.

“Schools are part of institutions and legal systems that must maintain high levels of staff suitability, safety and supervision of children. Through this initiative, we have intentionally invested in teacher development to ensure we produce care-takers with high integrity and are fit and proper to be custodians of children,” he added.

One of the objectives of the funding is to improve digital literacy of teachers in an effort to improve student engagement and build career-ready skills through integrating digital technology in the learning space, supporting mental well-being, and preparing students for a modern workforce.

According to BOTEPCO founding CEO and registrar, Dr Raphael Dingalo, BOTEPCO would run a series of national outreach workshops for more impactful teacher uptake of the digital learning passport as well as advancing teacher registration.

“We want to create professionals who are skilled to operate in a modern world by equipping them with knowledge, skills and confidence to use technology. Targeting at least 8 000 teachers, we plan to run workshops face-to-face so that we can effectively cast our net for a wider outreach and part of the funds will be used to facilitate logistics and travel,” Dr Dingalo said. 

He further emphasised the vital role that teachers played in today’s evolving, fast-paced world, by inspiring learners through change, building critical thinking skills and shaping good citizens, hence the need to strengthen the framework ensuring that all practicing educators met high professional competence and accountability requirements.

“This partnership will assist BOTEPCO implement clear benchmarks for teaching knowledge, skills and operations. Through licensing, we will ensure baseline educator competency, improve student academic performance, and protect public welfare.” ENDS