The Revised National Policy on Education, March 1994 - Botswana

Source: Ministry of Education

Republic of Botswana
Government Paper No. 2 of 1994
As Approved by the National Assembly on the 7th March 1994
As Printed by the Government Printer, Gaborone

1. Introduction
2. The Main Issues of The Revised National Policy on Education
3. The Philosophy and Aims of Botswana Education Policy
4. Structure of the Education System
5. Pre-Primary Education
6. Primary Education
7. Secondary Education
8. Vocational and Technical Training
9. Tertiary Education
10. Out of School Education
11. Special Education
12. The Teaching Profession
13. Organization, Administration and Community Involvement
14. Financing Educational Development
15. Implementation of the Strategy And Monitoring
16. Recommendations of the National Commission on Education

List of Accepted Recommendations Recommendations on Strategy for Education and Training into The 21st Century

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

1. INTRODUCTION

1. This Government Paper outlines Government’s reactions to the recommendations of the Report of the National Commission on Education 1993 and lays down policy guidelines and strategy for future educational development.
2. His Excellency the President appointed the National Commission on Education in April 1992 with the following mandate:
   1. To review the current education system and its relevance; and identify problems and strategies for its further development in the context of Botswana ’s changing and complex economy.
   2. To re-examine the structure of the education system that will guarantee universal access to basic education, whilst consolidating and vocationalising the curriculum content at this level.
   3. To advice on an education system that is sensitive and responsive to the aspirations of the people and manpower requirements of the country.
   4. To study the various possible methods of streaming into vocational and academic groups at senior secondary level.
   5. To study how the secondary structure at senior level may relate to the University of Botswana degree programmes and how the two programmes may best be reconciled.
   6. To advice on the organisation and diversification of the secondary school curricula that will prepare adequately and effectively those that are unable to proceed with higher education.
   7. To make recommendations to Government on the best and cost-effective methods of implementation of the final recommendations.
3. The Commission addressed the above issues through a variety of procedures, namely national consultations, institutional visits, written and oral submissions, research and policy studies and external study tours. This is an indication of the extensive consultation that the Commission conducted with abroad spectrum of the society in accordance with the major national principle of democracy. Information gathered through these means was discussed at sub-committee level, sometimes with specialists in specific areas, or at plenary meetings. The extent of analysis of the issues led to comprehensive findings, conclusions and recommendations intended to guide future educational development into the next century and beyond.
4. The Commission submitted its report in July 1993 after 13 months of work. There are 134 main recommendations, some of which have sub-recommendations and therefore making a total of 424 recommendations in all. Government recognises that given the prevailing circumstances in terms of the socio-economic structure of the country, the seemingly reformist and revolutionary nature of some of the recommendations is considered appropriate.
5. Characteristically, education has a long gestation period and its effectiveness is optimised when long-term changes in the population structure, the economy and employment opportunities are taken into account. It is therefore necessary to undertake periodic reviews of the education system and to determine the extent to which it meets the socio-economic goals of the nation.
6. The last review was undertaken in 1976 and it led to a National Policy on Education adopted in Government Paper No. 1 of 1977. This, in the main, has guided the development of education until now. There has been, over the years, increasing recognition that the socio-economic context within which the 1976 review took place has changed considerably and therefore there was need to review some of the policies and strategies for education development.

2. THE MAIN ISSUES OF THE REVISED NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION

1. On the basis of the basis of the Commission’s report, Government has identified seven key issues that are vital to the future development of education in the country. These are;
   1. Access and Equity
      According to the 1991 Census, about 17% of primary school age children (7-13 year age group) were not enrolled in formal education contrary to earlier projections of only 10%. A general analysis of a cohort of 1000 pupils enrolling in primary schools shows that, given the present rates of progression, 189 (18,9%) will reach senior secondary education, 35 (3,5%) will reach degree level education and 67 (6,7%) will have access to vocational training. This picture indicates a very low level of access. There is also lack of equity particularly at the primary education level. The 1991 Census shows that whilst the national average for primary school enrolment was 83%, there is a variation from as high as 95% in Orapa to as low as 66% in Ngamiland South and 65% in Kweneng West. There are similar imbalances in resource allocation, for example, in 1991 the shortage of trained teachers in primary schools varied from 5,4% in Gaborone to 41,9%in North-West District against a national average of 25,4%. Whilst in terms of enrolment there is no significant gender gap, in academic performance particularly in Mathematics and Science at both the Junior Certificate (JC) and Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) “O” Level, boys tend to perform better than girls. Finally, available statistics show that children with disabilities do not have equal access to the education system.
   2. Effective Preparation of Students For Life, Citizenship and World of Work
      The Government is adopting a dynamic philosophy of education that promotes economic development, political stability, cultural advancement, national unity and the overall quality of life. In pursuit of these goals, education must offer individuals a life-long opportunity to develop themselves and to make their country competitive internationally. Ultimately, the aim of education must be to prepare individuals for life. Thus one of the central goals of the curriculum must be adequate preparation for the world of work. This is an issue that the present educational system is grappling with and one that the terms of reference of the Commission emphasised. A strategy of pre-vocational preparation within the general education system and a curriculum that is oriented to the world of work will be emphasized.
   3. Development of Training Responsive and Relevant To Needs of Economic Development
      A key task of the Commission was to advice on a post-school vocational and technical training system to cater for Junior Certificate leavers in particular, although also for the COSC “O” Level leavers. In the past decade rapid economic growth and the resulting changes in the structure of the economy have resulted in shortages of skilled personnel. However, the education system was not structured to respond to this demand. In addition to responding to the needs of the economy, the development of an expanded technical and vocational training system will further increase access to education for school leavers.
   4. Improvement and Maintenance of Quality of the Education System.
      As a result of the adoption of the National Policy on Education in 1977, educational development has been characterised by a massive expansion of school places. For example between 1979 and 1991 enrolments in primary schools rose by 91%, in secondary schools by 342% and at the University of Botswana by 315%. However, although not by design, the success in quantitative development of the school system has not been adequately marched by qualitative improvements. Levels of academic achievement are a cause for concern. Research Studies undertaken for the Commission reveal that academic achievement of Standard 7 completers is declining. At the Junior Certificate level the pass rate for form 2 declined from 85,3% in 1988 to 80,1% in 1991 and for Cambridge from 79,3% to 69,9% in the same period. Government recognises that most massive and rapid educational expansion programmes such as ours are often characterised by declining quality due to lack of all the necessary resources to adequately sustain the system. It is realised that the system has thus operated under enormous strain, which has not allowed a higher level of learning achievement to be maintained. Quality assurance measures will be a major priority in the overall development and provision of education.
   5. Enhancement of the performance and Status of the Teaching Profession
      The success of any education system depends largely on teachers. They are the catalyst of the learning process and on them mainly rests the whole system. They are therefore crucial in the strategy to achieve a more effective and responsive education system. Statistics indicate that in 1991 there were 9 704 primary school teachers, 2 202 junior secondary school teachers and 1 231 senior secondary teachers, making a total of 13 362. This is a substantial resource, in terms of numbers, compared to the rest of civil service. Secondly, salaries for teachers in1993/4 represent 45% of the Ministry of Education’s recurrent budget making this resource also relatively expensive and one therefore, that needs effective utilization and management to achieve efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the education system. The Commission has cited evidence received from both the teachers and the general public confirming that the teaching profession is characterised by low morale and declining professional status. Even though teachers salaries compare favourably with other public officers of comparable qualifications, teachers have not received many of the benefits available to public servants due either to administrative problems or communication lapses. For example, teachers eligibility for housing has often not been treated on equal basis with that of other officers serving under similar circumstances. This has been particularly so in the case of primary school teachers who are seconded to local authorities and especially those posted for service in the rural areas. Enhancing the professional status may therefore raise the morale of the teacher and will go a long way to improve the educational system.
   6. Effective Management of the Education System
      The increase in the number in the number and spread of educational institutions in the country, especially at the primary and secondary levels, presently poses problems of effective administration in view of the centralised nature of the management structure. The situation is further compounded by the joint responsibility for management of primary education between the Ministries of Education and Local Government, Lands and Housing. There is evidence to suggest that the current structure of management creates problems of communication with teachers in the field. The Ministry of Education Organization and Methods Review exercise of 1992 addressed some of these problems. However, in order to achieve efficiency in the running of educational institutions the administrative structures need to be reviewed and improved. Secondly, the participation by the community in the development and management of education is important for the purposes of democratisation, quality assurance and relevance. It also reduces dependence on Government and promotes a spirit of self-reliance. Despite problems experienced in community participation, the Government concurs with the Commission’s belief that such participation is not only important but also necessary as it has potential for generating substantial financial and management resources needed for effective educational development and administration.
   7. Cost-Effective/Cost Sharing in the Financing of Education
      The share of the national budget allocated to education is substantial. In the 1992/93 financial year 22,6% of the recurrent budget and 8,7% of the development budget was allocated to the Ministry Education. New measures that the Commission recommended are likely to have additional financial implications. There is need therefore to adopt a cost-effective approach to educational expenditure which should include strategies to improve both internal and external efficiency of education and contain the level of unit costs. In order to achieve greater external efficiency there is need for increased emphasis on the relevance of the school to the needs of the society and the economy through the concept of pre-vocational preparation as well as expansion of the training programmes. Internal efficiency could be achieved through a more optimal use of educational resources, for example, use of school facilities in the evening. Government shares the Commission’s view of the need for cost sharing as a means of diversifying sources of educational finance, which requires individuals, communities and employers to contribute more towards the cost of education and training.

3. THE PHILOSOPHY AND AIMS OF BOTSWANA EDUCATION POLICY

1. The goals of the revised national education policy are to prepare Batswana for the transition from a traditional agro-based economy to the industrial economy that the country aspires to. The education and training strategy as enunciated in the Commission’s report will aim at ensuring that the people of Botswana , as a major national resource, will have invested in them an education necessary for national development. Besides the demands of the economy, Government considers access to basic education a fundamental human right. The education system must develop moral and social values, cultural identity and self-esteem, good citizenship and desirable work ethics.
2. The overall objectives of national education will be:
   1. to raise educational standards at all levels.
   2. to emphasise science and technology in the education system.
   3. to make further education and training more relevant available to larger numbers of people.
   4. to improve the partnership between school and community in the development of education.
   5. to provide life-long education to all sections of the population.
   6. to assume more effective control of the examination mechanism in order to ensure that the broad objectives of the curriculum are realized.
   7. to achieve efficiency in educational development.
3. At the school level the specific aims will be to:
   1. improve management and administration to ensure higher learning achievement.
   2. improve quality of instruction.
   3. implement broader and balanced curricula geared towards developing qualities and skills needed for the world of work.
   4. emphasise pre-vocational orientation in preparation for a strengthened post-school technical and vocational education and training.
   5. improve the response of schools to the needs of different ethnic groups in the society.

4. STRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

1. The structure of the education system is important because it shows how the different levels relate to each other, how individuals may progress from one level to the other, the various exit points and the variety of learning opportunities offered to individuals of different abilities and aptitudes.
2. The National Policy on Education of 1977, on the recommendation of the First National Commission on Education, adopted a change in the structure of education from 7 years (primary), 3 years (junior secondary) and 2 years (senior secondary), i.e. 7 + 3 + 2, to a 6 + 3 + 3 system. The duration of university was left unchanged. With this new structure, 9 years of basic education, i.e. primary and junior secondary education, was to be made available to all children. As a transition to the 6 + 3 + 3 structure Government adopted the 7 + 2 + 3 structure, which was introduced in 1988. It was planned that by 1995 about 90% of primary school leavers would enter junior secondary school, by which time it would be possible to introduce the 6 + 3 + 3 structure without depriving many children one year of education by the reduction of primary schooling from seven to six years. The reasons for this transitional stage were firstly that, it would enable the attainment of universal access to nine years of basic education quicker; secondly, it would ease the eventual change to 6 + 3 + 3 because the new structure would require a re-arrangement within the 9 years and thirdly, an extra year of senior secondary schooling would significantly improve academic achievement of the form 5 leavers.
3. The change to 6 + 3 + 3 system has not taken place yet. There are organisational problems to be overcome in order to make this change. At the point of change a double group of entrants to Form 1 will be created (i.e. the former Standards 6 and 7). This double group would strain the existing facilities of junior secondary schools for the 3-year period that they remain in the system, leading to arrangements such as double shifts or other special programmes. There would also be a problem of teacher supply, that is, a shortage of junior secondary school teachers but a surplus of standard 7 teachers. However, not all of primary school teachers can be converted to secondary school teachers. Alternatively, if students were to be admitted on the basis of the number of places available, access to junior secondary would be reduced by about one-third from the present level.
4. The main problems with the current structure are firstly, universal primary education has not been achieved and its quality is still inadequate and therefore shortening the period of primary school is not advisable. With regard to the 2-year junior secondary education the period is considered too short for effective teaching and learning to take place particularly with the wide range of abilities of students. The standard of achievement at Junior Certificate level is considered questionable as employers and training institutions do not accept it as equivalent to the former 3-year Junior Certificate. Lastly, junior secondary Leavers are often very young and most of them complete at an age below the minimum employment age. With respect to 3-year senior secondary, the first year is widely regarded as a wasted year in terms of education progress as students do not start the “O” Level Certificate programme in that year.
5. Government accepts that there are considerable difficulties to be encountered in changing to a 6 + 3 + 3 structure of education. On the other hand re-introducing the 7 + 3 +2 system will organizationally be easier and will solve many of the educational problems that confront our education system, namely improving the quality of basic education whilst maintaining the present level of access.

5. PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

1. There has been a rapid growth of institutions that cater for children below school going age and there is a strong public demand for this type of education as more and more women enter into paid employment that takes them away from home most of the day. The concept of basic education was re-defined at the World Conference on Education For All held in Jomtien , Thailand in 1990 to include pre-primary education and the Conference Declaration urged countries to set targets in this area of education.
2. Presently pre-primary education is provided mainly by private individual and organisations through the day care programme. Access is limited to about 7% of the population age 3-6 years. The curriculum is not standardised and the training of teachers is done outside the formal teacher training programmes. Besides, the National Policy on Day Care Centres which guides the operation of pre-primary education is out of date in many respects. Finally, responsibility for the programme which has recently been moved from the Ministry of Local Government, Lands and Housing to Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs needs to be looked at in order to provide professional capacity for effective supervision.
3. Government recognises the need to develop effective and comprehensive policy on pre-primary education “with a view of linking it to the formal education system in the long run” as indicated in the National Development Plan 7, 1991-97. However, at the present time Government cannot commit itself to the provision of pre-primary education on a universal basis given the scale of Government commitment for other areas of support. Nevertheless, Government will continue to provide an enabling environment for the expansion of this level of education as well as provision of adequately trained teachers and effective supervision.

6. PRIMARY EDUCATION

1. A review of the current situation shows that significant progress has been made in quantitative terms in opening access to primary education. However, 17% of children of primary school age are still not in school, which constitutes a major constraint in Government’s efforts to achieve universal primary education. The increased access to primary education has not been accompanied by a corresponding provision of some educational inputs such as classrooms and teachers` housing. But the most serious problem that is a concern to Government is the Commission’s finding that educational achievement at this level is indeed declining. Some of the reasons identified for this low level of achievement are inadequate physical facilities, the quality of the teacher, lack of effective supervision, inadequate co-ordination of the administrative functions shared between Ministry of Local Government, Lands and Housing and Ministry of Education, inefficient distribution of instructional materials and the retention of educational policies such as large class sizes, double shifts and automatic promotion without ensuring that mechanisms which mitigate the negative effects of these policies are put in place.
2. Government will undertake a phased programme to eliminate the shortage of physical facilities at this level as well as review policies that have negative effects on learning achievement. Particular attention will be given to areas where access to primary education is less than the national average in order to achieve equity in the provision of primary education.

7. SECONDARY EDUCATION

1. A significant achievement has been made in the provision of educational opportunity at the junior secondary education level. About 95% of primary school leavers now go on to Form 1 compared to 35% in 1977. Government has provided a nation – wide network of schools with reasonably adequate resources and with provision for communities to participate in the running of schools. The expansion at this level has had a number of consequences. The student body is now composed of a wider range of abilities. The Junior Certificate is devalued on the labour market and cannot now be accepted as minimum qualification for entry into many training institutions. Furthermore the very rapid expansion of this level has put the system under enormous strain in relation to management, supply of teachers and curriculum stability.
2. At the senior secondary level, even though enrolments have increased in absolute terms, the proportion of junior secondary leavers progressing to this level has fallen. The curriculum is relatively restrictive and diversification attempts to include technical and commercial subjects have been limited. Examinations at this level are yet to be localised.
3. Government is still committed to providing universal access to junior secondary education. However, in order to enhance the employability and the capacity for further training of junior secondary leavers, the goals and content of the programme will be revised to emphasise the pre-vocational preparation through the following:
   1. Vocational orientation of academic subjects.
   2. Increasing the number of practical subjects offered.
   3. Emphasising foundation skills applicable to work situation such as problem solving,self-presentation, team- work and computing.
   4. Relating the curriculum to the world of work by offering both curricular and co-curricular activities that espouse the processes and organisation of production anddemands of working life.
   5. Career Guidance and Counselling
4. At the senior secondary level, Government recognises the need to expand access at this level in order to meet the demand for people with this level of qualification both by the economy and further training institutions. Government has already embarked on the localisation of Cambridge examinations and this process is expected to be complete by 1998. Special emphasis will be placed on improving science and technology education, environmental and AIDS education.

8. VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL TRAINING

1. Post-school vocational and technical training provides skills for specific occupations. An efficient and effective training system is crucial in a country’s economic development and therefore it is necessary to focus attention on the training system distinct from general education and to give it more priority. Currently, there is no unified policy for vocational and technical education and training is fragmented and of uneven quality. Co-ordination between different training organizations is not very effective and vocational qualifications, curricula and quality of teaching staff have not been standardized. Access is still restricted in comparison with other types of education.
2. Government recognizes the need for an integrated national training system whose goals, content and organization are uniform and of the highest standard if the economy is to be transformed to meet the challenges of the21st Century. The development of a workforce that can apply advanced technology and respond competitively to changing demands of the international economy is therefore a goal that Government is aiming at.
3. In the pursuit of this goal Government will expand vocational and technical training and create the necessary structures for effective co-ordination. Establishment of the Botswana Training Authority (BTA) as the executive and coordinating authority for the skills training system will inevitably make such bodies as the National Industrial Training and Technician Education Council (NITTEC) redundant. A more comprehensive system of vocational qualifications will be developed by Government in consultation with employers and labour unions. Training of instructors will be harmonised and improved, and periodic surveys will be undertaken to monitor the skill needs of the economy in order to re-align training targets and orientation when the needs of industry change.

9. TERTIARY EDUCATION

1. The role of tertiary is to provide high level manpower and research support needed for economic development as well as cultivate the intellectual and cultural, enrichment that is indispensable for the nation’s social development. This area of education has expanded enormously since 1977. In 1978 the combined enrolment of tertiary institutions was 1 047. By 1991 it had more than quadrupled to 4 960, catering for approximately 40% of Form 5 leavers.
2. However, a number of problems presently faced this sector. First is lack of a comprehensive policy to guide its development, co-ordination, funding and administration. Second, is the problem of proper articulation between secondary and tertiary education, particularly in degree programmes, which has given rise to a programme such as the Pre-Entry Science Course. It is noted though that when the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) Examinations are localised attempts will be made to minimise the mismatch. Third, is the lack of synchronisation between the academic year of tertiary institutions and secondary education which leads to some disruption in students` studies. This disruption is further compounded by the fact that students have to do Tirelo Sechaba before proceeding to tertiary education.
3. In order to address these problems, Government will establish an appropriate framework and formulate policies to guide the development and management of tertiary education. The academic year for the whole education system will be synchronised to the extent possible and modifications will be made to Tirelo Sechaba Scheme to reduce disruptions to students` studies as far as possible.

10. OUT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION

1. Education should not be conceived only as schooling, but as a lifelong learning process for all, both young and old. The goal is to create a learning society in which every individual is acquiring new knowledge. It is therefore necessary to provide access to learning opportunities outside formal education to benefit those who would wish to further their education.
2. Out-of-School education is a complex area in view of the wide variety of client groups it caters for. The current situation reveals that the various providers of out-of-school education operate parallel to each other and the quality of the programmes is uneven. This sector lacks the status and recognition it usually enjoys in developed and some developing countries. The sector also lacks a comprehensive policy as it was left out of the Government Paper No. 1 of 1977 with a view to prepare a separate policy which was never done.
3. Government recognises the need to create learning opportunities outside the formal education system at all levels for those who would want to avail themselves to the pursuit of further learning. An institutional framework will be created for the delivery and co-ordination of all types of out-of-school education.

11. SPECIAL EDUCATION

1. Provision of education for children with disabilities still remains limited. Part of the problem for this situation is that there is lack of adequate data on incidence and categories of disability among children. Earlier attempts to collect such data have not been successful due to cultural attitudes regarding disabled children. It is estimated on the basis of international data that about 10% of children have some form of disability in this country. Some disabled children are integrated into public schools and therefore receive free education. But others who go to private schools have to pay fees.
2. Government is committed to the education of all children including the disabled ones and therefore will intensify efforts to increase access to education for disabled children. Government will also expand support for non-governmental organisations which have considerable experience and expertise in this field to enable them to provide free education to disabled children.

12. THE TEACHING PROFESSION

1. The quality of the instructions is one of the most important determinants of the level of learning achievement. Teachers as agents of curriculum implementation are therefore central to the education system and can make or break the system. The enhancement of the status and motivation of teachers to enable them to discharge this role effectively cannot be over emphasized.
2. With the significant expansion of the education system the training of teachers increased substantially which tended to improve the supply of trained teachers. However, there are still some untrained teachers in the system particularly in primary and junior secondary schools. Besides this, expatriates still constitute a substantial proportion of teachers in post-primary education, 32% in junior secondary schools, 57% in senior secondary school, 12% in Primary Teacher Training Colleges and 66% in Colleges of Education.
3. Government intends to embark on a number of measures aimed at raising the status and morale of teachers so that they can perform their tasks more effectively. Such measures will include both improved pre-service and in-service training, a package of incentives and improvements in the conditions of service.

13. ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

1. The implementation of the recommendations contained in this Government Paper will necessitate a number of changes in the organisation and administration of the Ministry of Education and other agencies engaged in education and training. The process of decentralisation of the Ministry of Education will continue and fairly senior officers will be placed in the field to enable effective decision making at the local level.
2. It is Government policy that, as much as possible the community should participate in the development and management of education. Such a policy will continue to be encouraged through consultations with Boards of Governors, PTAs and other relevant bodies in the community.

14. FINANCING EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Education already receives the largest proportion of the recurrent budget which in the 1993/94 financial year amounted to 22% of the total recurrent budget. The implementation of the new recommendations will further increase the cost of providing education. It is therefore necessary that educational financing in future must emphasize cost-effectiveness and cost-sharing.
2. Government will continue to provide basic education free but beyond this level beneficiaries will be called upon to contribute in varying degrees to the cost of their training. Proportion will however be made for deserving students who cannot afford to pay fees to get bursary awards.

15. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY AND MONITORING

1. An institutional framework will be put into place with the mandate for continuing policy analysis and strategy review based on a sound monitoring and evaluation process. Thus the mechanism will monitor the implementation of the educational policy and evaluate the goals set for each recommendation with a view to ensuring that they are being achieved in relation to stated norms.

16. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON EDUCATION

1. Government accepts the broad principles and purposes of the report and recommendations of the National Commission on Education. The recommendations will have to be fulfilled by a staged and phased approach and the order of priorities will be carefully determined. It is noted that some of the recommendations have to be implemented by Government agencies other than the Ministry of Education. Such agencies should be closely monitored to ensure that they do not lag behind. Implementation of the recommendations will require a massive injection of additional resources as well as an expanded professional service with support from the community and other agencies of Government. To achieve high levels of professional competence substantial training and professional development will have to be embarked upon at all levels of the education system. As a result of Government’s reaction to the report, such as the non-acceptance of pre-primary as part of the mainstream of the education system, the additional cost of implementing the recommendations as estimated by the Commission will be reduced substantially.
2. The following section lists all the recommendations of the Commission, with Government’s reaction as to which are accepted, accepted with amendments or deferred. Most of the recommendations have sub-sections (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), etc. Where a sub-section of the recommendation has been accepted, amended or deferred, only that particular sub-section appears under the appropriate list of the recommendations. With regard to some of the accepted recommendations, further explanatory notes have been provided. Reasons have been given for both the amended and deferred are accepted in principle only and so are not accepted for implementation at this point as they will be subject to on-going educational policy review by the proposed National Council on Education. The paragraph numbers that appear next to the recommendation numbers refer to the relevant paragraph in the main report.

LIST OF ACCEPTED RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS ON STRATEGY FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

REC.1 [para. 2.3.4.17] The Commission recommends that equity continues to be an explicit goal of educational policy and that the Ministries responsible for education and training should introduce appropriate measures to achieve greater equity. They should develop clear equity indicators and targets so that progress can be regularly monitored and reported.

REC.2 [para. 2.3.25] With respect to pre-vocational preparation in the primary and secondary schools, the Commission recommends that the Ministry of Education establishes an inter-departmental committee chaired by the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Education Development Services) and having representation from the business community to ensure the phased introduction of the programme over the next five years and to monitor the curriculum development process.

REC.3 [para. 2.3.30] With respect to language policy, the Commission recommends that the National Setswana Language Council be renamed the Botswana Languages Council and be given revised Terms of Reference, including the responsibility for developing a comprehensive language policy.

REC.4 [para. 2.3.37] With respect to quality assurance, the Commission recommends the establishment of quality assurance systems for education and training, and the publication of annual reports on the performance of the education and training system

REC.6 [para. 2.5.9] With respect to the implementation of its proposals and to educational policy review, the Commission recommends that:

a) a standing National Council on Education is established in 1994 with the following Terms of Reference:

i) To advice Government on the Education system.

ii) To monitor and evaluate the implementation of educational policy.

iii) To monitor quality in the education system.

iv) To initiate reviews of particular aspects of education.

v) To propose changes in education policy.

vi) To publish an annual report on the performance of the education system.

vii) To foster public awareness and understanding of education policies.

viii) To consider any other aspect of education deemed relevant. 

b) the National Council on Education should establish any sub-committees it deems necessary.

d) the membership of the National Council on Education should include representatives of teachers and other education professionals, of the public service, of the business community and of the public. 

f) the National Council on Education should meet at least once a year.

g) the Ministry of Education should undertake a public education programme after the publication of the White paper.

a) a programme of professional seminars is organized under the supervision of the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Education Development Services) in the Ministry of Education after the publication of the White Paper.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

REC.9 [para.3.6.5] The Commission recommends that:

a) the Ministry of Education should be assigned the portfolio responsibility for pre-primary education.

b) a Pre-primary Education unit should be established as soon as possible in the Department of Primary Education with the functions of:

- registering all pre-primary education units.

- establishing standards for facilities and the quality of the programme

- supervising pre-primary education.

e) a Pre-School Development Committee should be established, chaired by the Ministry of Education with representatives from the Ministries of Health, Local Government, Lands and Housing, Labour and Home Affairs and other interested parties to co-ordinate all Early Childhood Care and Education programmes.

REC.11 [para. 3.8.7] With respect to the curriculum for pre-primary education, the Commission recommends that:

a) the Ministry of Education should develop a curriculum together with teachers guide and other support materials which should guide the operation of all pre- primary education. This should be done in consultation with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs and Ministry of Local Government Lands and Housing, as well as interested and relevant international agencies like UNICEF, UNESCO and local non governmental organizations.

b) the Curriculum Development Unit should be strengthened to enable it to co-ordinate the development of the curriculum.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON PRIMARY EDUCATION

REC.14 [para.4.4.11] With respect to primary school facilities and standards, the Commission recommends that:

a) a special provision should be made over and above normal budgetary allocation to clear the backlog of classrooms and teachers` quarters that presently exists.

b) in view of the difficulty small contractors face in remoter areas of the country, Government should include bigger construction firms in the award of contracts for clearing the backlog,

c) a standard primary school should have the following as a minimum:

The physical facilities, equipment and support staff listed below are considered standard rather than the barest minimum required to run a primary school.

Physical Facilities

- adequate number of classrooms up to a maximum of 22

- administration block with office space for the headteacher, deputy headteacher and typists, staff room and 2 storerooms for storage of books and food

- library

- resource centre

- fully equipped Science room/Science Equipment

- room for health activities

- a sports field for various sporting activities

- a tool shed for storage of agricultural and other tools

- teachers` quarters with a minimum of 2 bedrooms

- adequate toilet facilities (including provision for the disabled)

- sufficient land for agricultural purposes and future development

- electrification of school buildings including teachers` quarters

Equipment / Supplies

- typewriter / computer

- reprographic equipment (cyclostyling machine / photocopier)

- telephone (where available)

- library books

Support Staff - school secretary (to be shared where practicable)

a) PTAs should be encouraged to add to this minimum, for example in the provision of computers and library books, in order to enrich the curriculum of the school.

b) each teacher should be provided with accommodation.

It is noted that responsibility for provision of infrastructure, including decisions on the categories of contractors to be engaged, rests with the Ministry of Local Government, Lands and Housing. Computers, in particular should constitute some of the equipment in the proposed resource centres for primary schools to ensure early exposure to computing as a learning resource.

REC.15 [para.4.5.12] The Commission recommends the following measures to increase access and achieve equity in primary education:

b) other strategies for achieving universal primary education as outlined in National Development Plan 7, 1991-1997 should be implemented, namely:

- more special schools for the disable;

- better supervision of primary school hostels;

- sensitising teachers to cultural differences;

- bursaries or destitute allowances to cover costs of school attendance for the very poor.

a) enactment of a compulsory education legislation should be deferred until present policies to achieve universal primary education have failed to yield the desired results.

REC.16 [para. 4.6.10] With respect to the duration of primary education and the age of entry, the Commission recommends that:

b) the minimum entry age should be retained at 6 years for public schools and 5 years for private schools.

c) the maximum entry age should be kept flexible in order to allow children in remote areas the opportunity to have access to primary education.

REC.17 [para. 4.7.22] On the primary school curriculum, assessment and examinations, the Commission recommends that:

a) a policy on curriculum development should be formulated to include the following:

- a framework for integrating new subjects, themes and issues into the existing curriculum,

- the package of subjects for the various levels of primary education,

- the criteria for determining core and optional as well as time allocation for various subjects.

b) periodic surveys should be undertaken to evaluate the extent to which the curriculum is meeting the objectives.

While this evaluation presently takes the form of monitoring of programmes by Curriculum Development Officers and feedback from teachers, a more systematic approach in terms of data collection, statistical analysis, etc. should be adopted.

c) immediate steps should be taken to develop a continuous basic education curriculum with the JC curriculum building upon the primary curriculum.

b) immediate initiatives should be taken to develop syllabuses for Art and Craft, Home Economics, Music and Physical Education.

c) the PSLE should become a diagnostic test and the number of examinable subjects should be increased to seven by adding Agriculture and Religious and Moral Education.

d) the standard 4 Attainment Test should be retained and the supporting mechanisms of continuous assessment and remedial teaching should be put in place.

REC. 18 [para. 4.7.31] With respect to the teaching of languages in primary school, the Commission recommends that:

b) in order to establish the conditions for introducing English as the medium of instruction, the envisaged training programmes to improve the qualifications and competencies of teachers and to strengthen the role of the headteacher as an instructional leader should also place emphasis on the use of English.

d) Setswana should be taught as a compulsory subject for citizens of Botswana throughout the primary school system. In-service training programmes should commence immediately to improve the teaching of Setswana as a subject.

REC. 19 [para. 4.7.36] In relation to educational support services, the Commission recommends that:

a) the educational broadcasting programmes should be updated and expanded to serve the needs of primary schools, including an expanded use of audio cassettes.

b) the Guidance and Counselling programme in primary schools should be strengthened and teachers trained to provide this service.

The Guidance and Counselling Division should be strengthened to ensure adequate support for teachers, and Guidance and Counselling should be covered during pre- service training

c) positions of Educational Psychologists should be established to advice teachers on children with special needs.

REC. 20 [para. 4.8.7] With respect to textbook development, the Commission recommends that:

a) a Textbook Evaluation Committee should be established to evaluate materials for publishing and approve textbooks to be used in primary schools. Members of the

Committee should include teachers, education officers, and representatives of teachers` organizations.

b) teachers who participate in the writing of textbooks should receive 75% of the royalties paid to the Ministry of Education

c) the contract for the joint development of textbooks should be open to all publishers on a competitive basis.

REC. 21 [para. 4.8.15] With respect to the procurement and distribution of instructional materials, the Commission recommends that:

a) the system of procurement and distribution should be decentralized to the district level.

It is expected that Councils will continue to improve their capacity to handle procurement. In the meantime procurement should remain centralised, but the distribution should be decentralised and this should remain so until the Councils have sufficient capacity to handle the entire system.

b) the system of ordering books directly from publishers should be retained as it ensures a more reliable supply source.

c) the procurement and distribution process should immediately be computerized to provide a better information base for placing orders.

d) the Curriculum Development Unit should prepare Requisition Forms covering at least two years in order to give publishers ample time for printing textbooks which are out of print.

REC. 22 [para. 4.8.21] The Commission recommends that in the long-term the norm of maximum class size should be 30, but in the short term the maximum should be reduced from 45 to 40.

REC. 23 [para. 4.8.32] With respect to progression in primary school, the Commission recommends that:

a) the policy of automatic promotion should be replaced with a policy of assessed progression. This policy should have the following guidelines:

- repetition up to 12,55 in each class;

- accelerated progression after due consultation with parents.

While repetition is accepted, in any event a pupil should repeat no more than three standards. Effective consultation between the class teachers, remedial teachers and educational psychologists on the one hand, and the parents on the other, should determine those who should repeat classes and those recommended for accelerated progression.

b) a continuous assessment system should be implemented on a national basis.

c) each school should be provided with at least one trained remedial teacher at a senior teacher level whose sole responsibility will be remedial teaching.

d) remedial teaching techniques should be given more emphasis in pre-service and in-service training programmes.

REC. 24 [para. 4.8.36] On school management and teacher development, the Commission recommends that:

a) the Ministry of Education should develop guidelines for headteachers, clearly defining their roles both as instructional leaders and administrators of the school.

b) the functions of senior teachers should be more specifically defined and standardized than at present. In addition to the present functions, senior teachers should be appointed to be in charge of groups of subjects such as Science/Mathematics, and Languages and to guide teachers in the teaching of these subjects.

c) from standard 4 onwards pupils should gradually be introduced to teaching by specialist teachers.

REC. 26 [para. 4.9.21] With regard to private primary schools, the Commission recommends that:

a) Government should maintain its present policy on private English Medium Schools.

b) the fees Batswana children attending private English Medium primary schools should not be subsidized.

c) the Ministry of Education should encourage private primary schools to participate in its in-service training programmes.

d) private Setswana Medium schools should be registered and supported where there is a need.

REC. 27 [para. 4.10.13] The Commission recommends that:

a) the present policy of joint responsibility for primary education should continue.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON SECONDARY EDUCATION

REC. 28 [para. 5.4.11] With respect to the duration of junior secondary education, the Commission recommends that junior secondary education should be extended from two to three years.

REC. 29 [para. 5.4.21] With respect to the duration of junior secondary education, the Commission recommends that:

b) the additional facilities required to maintain the present progression rate from primary to junior secondary education should be built over a period of two years starting in 1994.

c) the feasibility of mounting a crash training programme for teachers should be explored. Consideration should also be given to use of teachers on teaching practice as well as external recruitment of additional teachers.

REC. 30 [para. 5.4.24] With respect to study groups, the Commission recommends that:

a) study groups should not be subsidized by Government.

b) The Ministry of Education through the Department of Secondary Education should provide professional advice to managers and teachers responsible for study groups and ensure that effective teaching takes place.

REC. 31 [para. 5.5.7] The Commission recommends the following statement of goals for the three year junior secondary programme:

The goals of the Junior Certificate curriculum are to develop in all children

- proficiency in the use of Setswana and English language as tools for effective communication, study and work;

- an understanding of society, appreciation of culture and sense of citizenship;

- the capacity to use computational skills for practical purposes;

- an understanding of scientific concepts and interest in the natural world;

- an appreciation of technology and the acquisition of basic skills in handling tools and materials;

- an understanding of business and everyday commercial transactions;

- computer literacy;

- critical thinking, problem-solving ability, individual initiative and interpersonal skills;

- readiness for the world of work.

REC. 32 [para. 5.5.13] With respect to the Junior Certificate curriculum, the Commission recommends that:

c) each student should take a basic Computer Awareness Course.

e) each student should also take at least one co-curricular activity in the form of a sporting activity, a club or a hobby.

f) the Department of Curriculum Development and Evaluation should develop new curricula for the new subjects mentioned above and the Ministry of Education should determine time allocation for these subjects.

REC. 33 [para5.5.17] With respect to pre-vocational preparation in junior secondary education, the Commission recommends that:

a) at the level of the school, the Careers Guidance teacher be given specific responsibility for coordination of the programme as part of the job description.

b) in-service training for all teachers is provided on introducing and sustaining this approach to the curriculum and co-curricular activities. Special in-service training should be provided to Careers Guidance teachers, including increased exposure to commerce and industry.

c) careers classes should be included in the school time-table.

d) careers guidance in schools should encourage pupils to consider a broad range of occupational choices.

The role of the Careers Guidance teacher should be broad to encompass a widened concept of Guidance and Counselling so that the process of pre-vocational preparation should include the social and personal development concerns.

REC. 34 [para. 5.5.19] In order to maximize the use of physical facilities, equipment and teachers in the provision of the new junior secondary curriculum, the Commission recommends that the Ministry of Education should formulate a policy on the combinations of options that will be feasible in the various sizes of schools.

REC. 35 [para. 5.5.29] With respect to the wide range of ability in junior secondary schools, the Commission recommends that:

a) as an immediate step, an in-service training programme in mixed ability and remedial teaching should be developed for serving teachers.

b) all pre-service training should include adequate training in mixed ability and remedial teaching.

c) the Ministry of Education should formulate a policy which ensures that slow learners receive maximum assistance from teachers.

REC. 36 [para. 5.5.29] The Commission endorses the move towards greater use of Criterion Referenced Testing. However, it recommends that care should be taken in the use of the Criterion Referenced Testing System to ensure that it is adapted to measure all aspects of students` ability.

REC. 37 [para. 5.6.9] With respect to boarding policy for Community Junior Secondary Schools, the Commission recommends that:

b) strategically located large boarding schools with wider catchment areas should be built instead of several small ones where this is cost-effectice.

REC. 38 [para. 5.7.4] With respect to unified secondary schools, the Commission recommends that:

a) a phased programme of converting strategically located junior secondary schools into unified secondary schools offering a full five year secondary education, be initiated immediately as part of the on-going development of secondary education facilities.

b) Criteria for the location of unified secondary schools should be developed.

REC. 40 [para. 5.9.6] The Commission recommends that the target of a 50% progression rate from junior to senior secondary education should be set for the end of the next plan period, i.e. by 2003

REC. 41 [para. 5.9.12] In order to increase access to senior secondary education, the Commission recommends that:

b) the Education Act should amended to raise the official class size at senior secondary from 30 to 35.

c) the Government should provide land and an enabling environment to encourage the private sector to develop private senior secondary schools.

d) senior secondary teachers should be encouraged and remunerated appropriately for acting as tutors at study centres for out-of-school students.

REC. 42 [para. 5.10.12] In terms of improving the orientation of the senior secondary schools to the world of work, the Commission recommends that:

a) in implementing the Commission`s recommendation made in para. 5.11.9 to localize the senior secondary syllabuses and examinations, and enable the latter to cater for a wider ability group, emphasis should be placed on developing practical and business subjects related to the world of work in Botswana . The orientation of the Curriculum Development Unit should support the development of practical and business subjects, both in the development of syllabuses and the provision of instructional material. The development of the curriculum and instructional materials should reflect the world of work by promoting integration across subjects.

b) in the future certification system for senior secondary leavers, the role of continuous assessment should be fully recognised, with some weighting in the final grading, and teachers should be given adequate training to handle continuous assessment.

c) the provision of more practical and work-related subjects in the curriculum and a cross-curriculum approach to work-readiness should be supported by a strengthened management structure at school level, with identified supervisory responsibility for this area of activity and for career guidance.

d) formal links should be developed between schools and commerce and industry. For example, teachers could do attachments in the private sector for short learning periods to acquire knowledge and understanding of the world of work and to develop new management skills; and sponsorship by private sector firms of special prizes and awards for excellence in various areas of the curriculum could be encouraged

e) tracer studies of senior secondary school leavers should be carried out as a regular part of the Ministry of Education`s research programme in order to provide inputs for curriculum development and careers guidance.

f) all senior secondary school teachers should acquire computer literacy and the schools should be allocated enough computers to enable all students to develop computer skills.

g) when the new three year JC curriculum is implemented steps must be taken to ensure that practical and business subjects taught in senior secondary schools build on what is provided in the junior secondary schools.

h) teacher training should include programmes in Guidance and Counselling for all teachers, and exposure to commerce and industry should be provided to senior secondary school teachers at teacher training institutions. Provision of teacher training opportunities should be increased in the practical and commercial subjects to reduce reliance on expatriates.

i) adequate budgets for practical and commercial subjects and learning resources, especially library facilities, multi-media resource centres, supplies and maintenance, should be allocated.

j) advisory and supervisory services should be improved, including in-service training for Education Officers to guide and manage adequately the increased orientation to the world of work.

k) Guidance and Counselling should be improved by giving the school coordinator an office, reduced teaching load, a dedicated classroom and relevant material. The world of work relevance of every subject should be drawn out in the curriculum of every subject and taught by every teacher, whose training must include guidance and counselling.

l) practical subject clubs, and other clubs that promote contact with the world of work, should be encouraged.

REC. 43 [para. 5.10.25] With respect to Science and Technology education, the Commission recommends that:

a) the formulation of a Science and Technology policy should be finalized as soon as possible, and that the policy should pay special attention to providing guidelines for Science and Mathematics education.

b) the shortfall in Science and Mathematics teachers which is being met through recruitment of expatriate teachers should be addressed through an aggressive and deliberate long term project to specifically train Science Mathematics teachers for senior secondary schools. Special incentives should be developed to attract suitable candidates for training and subsequently to retain them in the teaching profession.

c) equipment, materials and facilities for the teaching of Mathematics and Science at senior secondary school level should be better utilized. A well-structured and comprehensive in-service training programme for teachers and on-the-spot assistance by Education Officers should be instituted to ensure improved instruction and optimum utilization of resources. There should be provision of support staff, especially laboratory technicians and assistants, to facilitate the organization of laboratory activities.

d) intensified measures to popularise science amongst students and to develop an interest and positive attitudes towards Science and Technology should be developed through Science and Mathematics fairs and other competitive activities, special awards, the establishment of a Science and Technology park and so forth.

e) special measures should be developed to increase the participation and performance of girls in Science, Mathematics and Technology.

f) techniques of using technology to teach technology be encouraged. This calls for teachers to avail themselves of technology based teaching aids on the one hand, and on the other hand for students to be exposed to the practical application of Science and Technology and to gain hands-on experience of them.

REC. 44 [para. 5.10.29] The Commission recommends the implementation of the following recommendations of the 1991 National Planning Conference for Environmental Education:

a) There should be clearly defined national goals for environmental education andthe Ministry of Education should draw up an action plan for their implementation.

b) Environmental education has a key role in secondary education and should be incorporated into all subjects.

c) An Education Officer / Coordinator should be appointed to the Department of Curriculum Development and Evaluation to oversee the introduction of environmental education.

A Special Projects Curriculum Development Officer is already in place in the Curriculum Development Unit with responsibilities for coordination of environmental education.

d) A curriculum panel for environmental education with representation from all subject areas should be formed.

e) Teachers must be trained in the methodologies, at both pre-service and in-service levels, for environmental education to ensure that learning results in attitudinal changes and citizen participation.

f) Educational institutions, starting with the teacher training institutions and the University of Botswana , should develop an environmental ethos and set an example to the rest of the community.

REC. 45 [para. 5.10.33] The Commission recommends that an officer should be appointed on a full time basis to liase with the National AIDS Control Programme and to coordinate implementation at school level of an AIDS control and education programme.

REC. 46 [para. 5.10.37] In order to improve the teaching and the status of Setswana, the Commission recommends that:

a) teachers should be exposed to as many language teaching methods as possible so as to provide a variety for the teacher and learner, with emphasis oncommunicative approaches, and therefore make Setswana more interesting as a subject.

c) the University of Botswana`s Department of African Languages and Literature should play a leading role in guiding academic presentations in Setswana and cooperate with the Faculty of Education in promoting the teaching of Setswana.

REC. 47 [para. 5.10.42] With respect to developing the talents of gifted children, it is recommended that:

a) an accelerated progression system be developed to enable selected students to sit for "O" level after four years of secondary education. If the General Certificate of Education (subject examination) recommended in 5.11.10 below is adopted, some students may sit for some of the subjects earlier than Form 5.

b) special programmes should be created in the various subject disciplines to extend the knowledge of students with talent and aptitude, and with accompanying incentives such as enhanced scholarships and awards.

c) the Lobatse Senior Secondary School Technical Wing should be evaluated with a view to extending the concept to other senior secondary schools.

REC. 48 [para. 5.10.45] The Commission, with respect to provision of library facilities and resources in the secondary schools, recommends that:

a) the organization and role of libraries should be re-examined with a view to rationalizing the relationship with Botswana National Library Service in order to improve the management of school libraries.

b) the Ministry of Education should set up its own library service in cooperation with the Botswana National Library Service, with appropriate staffing, to provide guidance from an educational as well as a library view on the development of library services in the educational institutions. An officer should be appointed to coordinate school library services.

c) the training and provision of librarians should be intensified with the aim of providing a graduate librarian in each of the senior secondary schools and a Teacher-Librarian with a minimum Certificate in Library Studies qualification in each of the Community Junior Secondary Schools.

The status and responsibilities of the Community Junior Secondary School Teacher-Librarian should be clarified as a matter of urgency.

REC. 49 [para. 5.10.47] It is recommended that as a support to the development of education and the promotion of literacy, a National Book Policy be developed by the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs to:

a) promote local book production and ensure a high standard of professionalism in the book industry; and

b) promote a culture of reading amongst Batswana.

REC. 50 [para. 5.11.9] With respect to the senior secondary examinations, the Commission recommends immediate preparation of a comprehensive programme of localization of the COSC examinations involving the following steps:

b) training of markers and examiners in the different subject areas offered in the senior secondary curriculum, starting with the core subjects taken by all or most candidates.

c) preparation, re-writing and adaptation of syllabuses, starting with subjects of more local relevance and context.

d) setting of examination papers, development of grading system of scripts but with Cambridge moderation.

e) provision of physical facilities required, and procurement of equipment for printing and processing of examinations, including computerization, and with due regard for absolute and appropriate security of the examinations.

The process should start immediately and full localization should be achieved by 2003.

REC. 51 [para. 5.11.10] The Commission further recommends the phasing out of the current

School Certificate (group examination) and adoption of the General Certificate of Education (subject examination) of the Joint Examination by 1997. Consideration should also be made to switching over to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) to cater for the wider ability range of students create by increased access to senior secondary education.

The process of localizing the senior secondary examinations has already started and the target date for complete localization is 1998 and therefore adoption of the General Certificate of Education (subject examination) should be tied with this date. Further consultations should be held with the different stake holders including the various departments within the Ministry of Education, University of Botswana , other educational and training institutions and employers.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL TRAINING

REC. 52 [para. 6.4.6] The Commission recommends that the Government , in conjunction with employers and unions, should formulate a National Training Policy to give effect to the recommendations of the Commission. The National Training Policy should be adopted by the Government within one year.

REC. 53 [para. 6.5.8] Given the lack of reliable data on skills shortages and labour market requirements, the Commission recommends that:

a) as a matter of priority the Central Statistics Office undertakes the Labour Force Survey in 1994. Future surveys should be done at five-year intervals synchronized with the National Development Plan cycle.

To ensure that the training system relates closely to strategic planning, it may be necessary to undertake labour market surveys at mid-term of the Plan period making use of available data.

b) on the basis of the survey and the 1991 census data, the Employment Policy Unit procedures detailed information for the National Employment, Manpower and Incomes Council (NEMIC) as the basis for plans for vocational and technical training to be included in National Development Plan 8, 1997-2003.

REC. 55 [para. 6.6.7] In respect of technician training, the Commission recommends that:

b) in the light of the need for more physical capacity for engineering degrees and technician programmes than can be built on the present Polytechnic site, a study is undertaken to identify the location of a second Polytechnic. The study should include projections of need, target intakes and outputs by level and discipline, the configuration of full-time and part-time course provision, academic and administrative support services, space requirements and a consideration of issues

c) suitable measures to be taken to ensure that the National Craft Certificate provides a viable route to technician level training.

d) there be a Technician Training Sub-committee of the Tertiary Education Council to provide a professional forum for exchange and liaison amongst the Principals of these institutions. The sub-committee should facilitate the establishment of an institute of Technicians .

e) technician institutions take active measures in conjunction with the schools careers guidance service to increase their female enrolments.

REC. 56 [para. 6.6.33] With respect to modes of skills training, the Commission recommends that:

a) apprenticeship remains one of the major routes to skill certification but wherenecessary full-time institutional training should be mounted.

b) a variety of other combinations of institutional training and work experience leading to trade tests and skill certification should be adopted and actively developed.

c) the establishment of approved training centres should be encouraged to promote employer based-based training.

d) public sector and company training centres be encouraged and supported to train in excess of their own needs for the labour market where they have spare capacity.

e) the capacity of the Brigades to provide vocational training should be strengthened and expanded through increased central government development expenditure whilst not diminishing their community-based character.

f) continuing education and training must be expanded and in particular all training institutions should offer part-time programmes in the evenings and at weekends. The training staff in such institutions should be eligible for additional pay for teaching on part-time programmes.

g) a more enabling environment should be established to encourage the setting up of private vocational colleges. Specific measures should include improved registration procedures and regulations, assistance to obtain land and access to facilities, tax benefits, soft loans for capital development, an accreditation and inspection system, tuition tax credits and more Government contracts for training private services.

h) skills training programmes should include associated studies that will help to develop business skills and attitudes.

i) the goal of increasing female participation in skills training and measures to achive the goal should be included in the National Training Policy.

REC. 57 [para. 6.6.48] With respect to the expansion of training, the Commission recommends that:

a) the planned expansion of the Polytechnic`s engineering technician enrolment to 1100 in National Development Plan 7, 1991-1997 should be implemented as a matter of highest priority.

b) the targets set in National Development Plan 7, 1991-1997 for the expansion of public sector vocational training capacity to an annual intake capability of 4 830 should be met by 1997.

c) the expansion of private sector training should be an explicit policy objective and development targets should be set to raise the skills training outputs of employer- based training, through approved training centres, in-company approved industrial training programmes and private colleges.

d) the Ministry of Education's proposal for providing an institutional full-time basic vocational training programme in a number of vocational fields as a common preparation for apprenticeship and other institutional and employer training programmes should be implemented. The nomenclature of the "basic vocational year" should be dropped. The focus should be on extending access to training for trade test C and subsequently the National Vocational Awards Scheme Level One. The programme should be offered at the VTCs, Brigades and private vocational colleges.

REC. 58 [para. 6.8.7] For the institutional framework of vocational and technical training, the Commission therefore recommends that:

a) the formulation of policies and strategic plans for the vocational and technical training system should be centralized in the National Employment Manpower and Incomes Council (NEMIC). The secretariat of NEMIC`s Manpower and Training Sub-committee in the Employment Policy Unit should be strengthened.

c) technician institutions should remain under the jurisdiction of their separate ministries for the time being, but fall within the overall policy direction and strategic planning of NEMIC. Coordination of their activities should be undertaken by the Tertiary Education Council through a Technician Training Sub- committee.

d) a comprehensive National Training Act should be enacted as soon as possible, providing for all aspects of the skills training system (including the role of NEMIC and the establishment of the Botswana Training Authority).

REC. 59 [para. 6.9.5] To enable performance monitoring, the Commission recommends that:

a) comprehensive statistical information on the training system be maintained by the Botswana Training Authority and Tertiary Education Council on the vocational and technical training system. Research capacity should be built into the operations of the Botswana Training Authority to enable the organization to conduct regular surveys on the labour market.

b) training institutions should undertake regular employment surveys of their graduates to ascertain the relevance of their training.

c) the capacity of the Employment Policy Unit and Central Statistics Office is strengthened through appropriate staffing and training so that they can provide improved labour market data collection and analysis.

d) a Human Resources Information System is established in the Employment Policy Unit to provide the necessary information for planning and monitoring the vocational and technical training system.

REC. 60 [para. 6.10.9] With respect to vocational and technician qualifications, the Commission recommends that:

a) National Skills Standard are formalized.

b) a National Vocational Awards Scheme is established as the certification system for skills training, based on three levels. The BTA should develop the scheme through its tripartite structures.

c) there be two forms of certification, namely full certification for a completed National Vocational Awards level, and modular certification, with completion of the appropriate set of modules giving entitlement to the full certificate.

d) the routes to certification for each level, including Level 3, should involve not only apprenticeship but other combinations of institutional training and work experience.

e) the public trade tests should be made widely accessible to workers with relevant working experience, without having to attend formal training.

g) through the proposed Tertiary Education Council moves should be made towards a national system for validation of technician awards.

h) the technician training institutions should accept Level 3 of the National Vocational Awards Scheme as an entry qualification enabling a route from skills training into technician level training.

REC. 61 [para. 6.11.8] For training curricula, the Commission recommends that:

a) skills training programmes should be competency-based and modular.

b) a basic vocational training programme of institutional training should be developed to lead to Level 1 of the National Vocational Awards Scheme.

c) all training curricula should be reviewed at least once in four years.

REC. 62 [para. 6.12.7] With respect to teachers for vocational and technical training, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the development of the Vocational Teacher Training Colleges (VTTC) should be given absolute priority in measures to develop skills training. 

b) the Botswana Training Authority (BTA) should create a new professional Training Service established on appropriately attractive salaries and conditions of service. 

c) entrants to the new service should possess at least the National Craft Certificate, competency in English, and a minimum of three years post-qualification work experience. In-service training should be provided to upgrade existing staff. 

d) the VTTC should be an institution of the BTA. 

e) all lecturers in technician training institutions should be provided with formalized pedagogical training. 

f) the Faculty of Education of the University of Botswana should through its degree and postgraduate educational specializations and research programmes provide for the higher professional needs of the vocational and technical training system, and be responsible for training the trainers of trainers. 

REC. 63 [para. 6.13.10] With respect to developing the capacity of the training system, the Commission recommends that: 

b) in parallel with the planning review exercise, an immediate systems audit of all the existing vocational and technician training institutions be undertaken to determine and propose measures for greater utilization and systems efficiency. 

c) subject to the detailed review and audit above, the development of physical facilities provided for in National Development Plan 7, 1991-1997 should be firmly implemented. 

d) the National Employment Manpower and Incomes Council, working closely with the Botswana Training Authority and the Tertiary Educational Council, initiates as soon as possible the forward planning for the new facilities which will be needed under National Development Plan 8, 1997-2003. 

RECOMMENDATIONS ON TERTIARY EDUCATION 

REC. 64 [para. 7.4.10] The Commission recommends the expansion of part-time programmes, including those by distance education, to enable access to tertiary education for anyone interested and eligible. 

REC. 66 [para. 7.5.29] With respect to policy and the relate institutional framework, the Commission recommends the immediate establishment of a statutory Tertiary Education Council with the following functions: 

a) to formulate policy on tertiary education and to advice Government accordingly. 

b) to coordinate the long term planning and overall development of tertiary education. 

c) to liaise with both the public and private sectors of the economy on all matters relating to human resources development and requirements. 

d) to plan for the funding needs of tertiary education and research, including the recurrent and development needs of the institutions. 

e) to coordinate the management of tertiary institutions. 

f) to advice the Government on the establishment of public tertiary education institutions. 

g) to receive and appraise applications from organizations seeking to establish private tertiary education institutions, examine and approve proposals for courses of study and make recommendations to Government. 

i) to arrange for regular visitations and inspection of tertiary institutions. 

j) to ensure maintenance of standards for courses of study and examinations in the tertiary education institutions. The list of functions is not exhaustive and so the Tertiary Education Council will address any other matters relating to tertiary education. 

REC. 69 [para. 7.6.6] In order to improve the articulation between senior secondary secondary and tertiary education, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the curricula of the senior secondary schools and of the University of Botswana degree programmes are properly matched to obviate the need for special intermediate arrangements such as PESC, aimed at upgrading entrants to Year 1. The University should thus take an active part in the proposed localization of the Cambridge examinations. 

b) Year 1 courses of degrees of the University of Botswana and other degree teaching institutions should be adapted with a view to easing the "O" Level holders into the first year of University education in order to reduce the problems that may be associated with the transition from secondary school to university teaching. 

c) a standing committee comprised of officials of the Ministry of Education, staff of the University and other degree-teaching institutions, and representatives of relevant outside bodies, be formed to coordinate efforts aimed at the enhancement of schools performance especially in Mathematics and Science. The Committee would coordinate action on curriculum development, development of relevant teaching materials and in-service work. The University of Botswana Advisory Committee system and the Ministry of Education subject panels are structures that should be used more effectively for this purpose. 

REC. 70 [para. 7.6.9] With respect to the development of a core curriculum for students in tertiary education institutions, the Commission recommends the following components: 

a) a module for personal confidence building, including, for example, public speaking. 

b) a module for conscience building, incorporating an understanding of ethical behaviour in business, public service voluntary organizations, and in the workplace. 

c) a module contemporary and future scientific and technological advances and the issues and dilemmas created for humanity. 

d) a module on Botswana`s culture and values, within the context of heterogenous African cultures, noting the uniqueness and universals of Botswana`s way of life. 

e) a module on regional and international organizations delineating their functions and the opportunities they offer for participation by Botswana .

RECOMMENDATIONS ON OUT-OF-SCHOOL EDUCATION 

REC. 73 [para. 8.4.5] The Commission recommends that the goals of out-of-school education be stated as follows: 

1. to establish a learning society in which education is seen as a life long process. 

2. to guarantee universal access to basic education for school-age children and adults in order to promote equity and social justice. 

3. to provide opportunities for young people and adults to further their initial education to higher stages in order to raise the general level of education of the population. 

4. to provide opportunities for adults to acquire work-related skills that will improve their productivity and standard of living, and promote economic growth. 

5. to increase the ability of adults to take part in social, political, cultural and sporting affairs in order to improve their quality of life and promote greater participation in the development process. Work-related skills including communication, language and numerical skills are very vital for improving productivity and therefore should be stressed. 

REC. 74 [para. 8.4.8] The Commission recommends that the proposed National Council on Education establishes a specialities Sub-committee for Out-of-School Education. 

REC. 75 [para. 8.4.11] With respect to the provision of out-of-school education, the Commission recommends that: 

a) guidelines should be established for the involvement of non governmental organizations in out-of-school education. 

b) the measures to provide an enabling environment for the establishment of private vocational colleges proposed in para. 6.3.3 above should also include easier registration for private institutions wishing to offer academic courses as well as vocational ones. 

c) an official policy is enunciated for state educational institutions to offer part-time courses and to pay full-time staff for extra work on these courses. The provision of such courses should be self-accounting, with revenues from fees being used by the institutions to pay tuition costs. 

REC. 76 [para. 8.4.13] With respect to professional development in out-of-school education, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the Department of Adult Education of the University of Botswana should be the lead agency for the training of out-of-school education personnel and for research and evaluation in this sector. 

b) the Department of Non Formal Education should establish resource centres at each Education Centre for those working in out-of-school education. 

REC. 77 [para. 8.4.15] The Commission recommends that the Ministry of Education enunciates a policy stating there should be shared use of all educational facilities in order to optimise their utilization and promote out-of-school education. 

REC. 78 [para. 8.5.3] With respect to out-of-school primary children in the rural areas, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the responsibility for promoting, supporting and monitoring rural out-of-school education at the primary level should be given to the Department of Non Formal Education, which will liaise with other sections of the Ministry of Education, especially the Department of Primary Education, and other relevant bodies, such as the local Councils. 

b) the Department of Non Formal Education should be given the resources to undertake this task. It should organize a staff development programme to prepare its staff for this responsibility. 

REC. 79 [para. 8.5.6] With respect to junior secondary education for out-of-school children, the Commission recommends the establishment of a nation-wide distance education study centre system of junior secondary level study. 

REC. 80 [para. 8.5.6] With respect to out-of-school children in urban areas, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the Department of Non Formal Education be given central responsibility for education programmes for these children. 

b) the Government supports non governmental organizations to run pilot out-of- schools centres in urban areas which should be developed through an action research and evaluation programme. A distribution has been made in recommendations 78 and 80 regarding urban and rural out0of-school children. It should be noted that in urban areas out-of-school children have special problems as "street children" and because of their circumstances require special attention than those in rural areas. 

REC. 81 [para. 8.6.3] With respect to the National Literacy Programme, the Commission recommends: 

a) the continuation of the National Literacy Programme under the direction of the Department of Non Formal Education. 

b) an immediate review of the level of payment and conditions of employment of Literacy Group Leaders. 

c) an evaluation of the National Literacy Programme to take place immediately after the publication of the results of the National Household Literacy Survey. 

REC. 82 [para. 8.6.7] With respect to post-literacy stage for adult learners, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the Department of Non Formal Education should give greater priority to post literacy activities, particularly in relation to the development of a literate environment and support to productive activities in traditional agriculture and the informal sector. 

b) the Department of Non Formal Education should introduce an "Adult Basic Education Course" to provide adults with the equivalent of Standard Seven schooling. 

REC. 83 [para. 8.6.9] With respect to junior secondary education for adults, the Commission recommends that the proposed Botswana Distance Education College offers the Junior Certificate programme with a support system to meet the needs of adults. 

REC. 84 [para. 8.7.9] With respect to the extension services, the Commission recommends that: 

a) provide training in technical and business skills for the rural and urban informal sector should become a new priority. 

b) a review of all training for the informal sector should be undertaken immediately under the direction of the Rural Extension Coordinating Committee (RECC) to provide the basis for expansion and improvement. 

d) all involved in the development of the informal sector should receive gender- sensitivity training.

e) the Social and Community Development departments and the Department of Non Formal Education take a broader and more innovative approach to the learning needs engendered by contemporary social development, and that the RECC convene a representative conference on the future of social development programmes. 

f) the RECC extends its scope to include extension programmes for urban areas and includes non governmental organizations in its membership. 

g) the RECC renews its efforts to improve the effectiveness of the extension services, especially through staff training and a programme of applied research and evaluation. 

REC. 85 [para. 8.8.3] With respect to out-of-school education at senior secondary level, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the proposed Botswana Distance Education College offers a comprehensive and extensive "O" level programme. 

b) support is given to private night schools offering "O" levels through improved registration procedures and regulations, and regular inspection. 

REC. 86 [para. 8.8.7] With respect to continuing education, the Commission recommends that: 

a) all tertiary education institutions should make formal organizational arrangements for providing appropriate short courses and part-time programmes. 

b) the Centre for Continuing Education of the University of Botswana should be the lead agency for distance education programmes at the tertiary level. 

c) that a specialist committee for the continuing education sector should be established as soon as possible to provide coordination and direction. In providing coordination and direction the specialist committee for the continuing education sector should take responsibility for devising clear routes into the mainstream of education. 

REC. 87 [para. 8.9.8] In order to extend the scope of distance education, the Commission recommends: a) the establishment of the Botswana Distance Education College . 

b) the provision of appropriate resources to develop the Distance Education Unit of the Centre for Continuing Education of the University of Botswana . 

RECOMMENDATIONS ON SPECIAL EDUCATION 

REC.88 [para. 9.6.2] The Commission recommends that the goals of special education are expressed as follows: 

a) to ensure that all citizens of Botswana including those with special needs have equality of educational opportunities. 

b) to prepare children with special educational needs for special integration by integrating them as far as possible with their peers in ordinary schools. 

c) to ensure a comprehensive assessment that is based on the child`s learning needs, and not on group norms, and which is followed by individualized instruction. 

d) to promote the early identification and intervention which will ensure the maximum success of the rehabilitation process. 

f) to ensure the support and active participation of the children`s parents and community through an education and information campaign. 

REC. 89 [para. 9.6.4] The Commission recommends that in order to establish a reliable database for the planning of special education: 

a) the Ministry of Education makes urgent and effective efforts to identify the true numbers and categories of disabled children of school age who are in need of special education. 

b) the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Local Government Lands and Housing should cooperate fully in these efforts. 

c) the proposed School Health Programme is set up as soon as possible and that its remit should include the early identification, treatment and referral of children with disabilities to the Central Resource Centre. 

d) the Central Resource Centre should be strengthened so that it can further assess cases referred to it by the School Health Programme, by parents, teachers, or the School Intervention Teams. 

e) the Central Resource Centre (CRC) should be responsible for establishing and maintaining a register of disabled children. Because of the large number involved and the lack of staff at the CRC, the diagnoses of other professionals in the field should be accepted until the staff establishment of the CRC has been increased. 

REC. 90 [para. 9.6.7] With respect to the payment of fees for special education, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the parents of children registered as disabled should receive bursaries for fees at special schools. 

REC. 91. [para. 9.6.8] With respect to physical access, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the Government should develop standards for the construction of all educational buildings to make them to make them accessible to disabled persons. 

b) existing Primary and Community Junior Secondary (CJSS) must be modified (e.g by installing ramps) to allow access for disabled pupils. However, in order to reduce costs, where two or three schools serve one community only one of them need be so modified, thus reducing the percentage of schools needing modification to 60% for primary and 90% for CJSS. 

c) disabled children should receive effective treatment, technical aids and prostheses free of charge immediately following assessment. 

REC. 92 [para. 9.6.8] To increase the availability of special education places, the Commission recommends that: 

a) transport is provided by the Government to take children who are registered as disabled to and from school. 

b) at least one senior experienced teacher in each school should be appointed to be responsible for the handicapped children in each school. This teacher should ideally be a member of the School Intervention Team and should organise special remedial tuition for children with specific learning problems. In time, these posts should be filled by trained special education teachers. 

c) more special education units should be built onto existing schools, and as part of all new schools, at the rate of one per school with a maximum capacity of 20, with boarding facilities in selected cases. Provision should be made for specialization e.g blind or deaf at a few selected schools. In determining the need to construct special education units as part of the development of new schools, consideration should be given to the existence of units in neighbouring schools to take account of economies of scale. 

d) the education of the most severely disabled children should continue to be managed by the non governmental organizations as they have the necessary experience and expertise. 

e) early childhood basic training for disabled 2-5 year olds should also continue to be managed by non governmental organizations as they already have the experience experience and expertise. 

f) those non governmental organizations which care for the severely disabled children and those which provide early childhood basic training for the disabled should be encouraged to expand by Government assistance with:

 i) payment of staff salaries; 

ii) a per capita allowance for pupils and staff; 

iii) costs of training for their staff, with NGOs deciding their own training needs. 

REC. 93 [para. 9.6.19] With respect to resource and assessment centres, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the Central Resource Centre is substantially strengthened by the immediate appointment of a Head, a doubling of its establishment as soon as possible, and rationalization of its facilities so that it can offer the following services: 

i) the educational needs assessment of all kinds of disabled children. 

ii) guidance and counselling for parents with disable children. 

iii) assistance with the integration of disabled children into ordinary schools. 

iv) guidelines for the establishment of special education units within ordinary schools. 

v) assistance with the establishment of residential accommodation for the handicapped. 

vi) the provision of seminars and workshops for teachers and associated workers on special education. 

vii) the referral of disabled children for medical examination and/or treatment 

viii) the collection and dissemination of information on special education. 

ix) a workshop for the repair and maintenance of equipment. 

x) the production of teaching, assessment and learning materials for special education. 

xi) the setting-up of School Intervention Teams, other links with schools, social workers and health clinics throughout the country, so that local staff with initial training from CRC can take responsibility for most assessments of education needs and follow up work. 

xii) an active and extensive outreach service, especially to harness the resources of the parents and community for early childhood stimulation. 

b) other Resources Centres (in addition to those in existence) should be established, one at each of the existing Education Centres. These may be residential depending upon demand but should but should offer:

 i) special or extra tuition for disabled children attending nearby schools. 

ii) routine repair and maintenance of equipment. 

iii) the production of teaching and learning materials for special education. 

iv) the educational needs assessment of disabled children. 

v) seminars and workshops for teachers and associated workers on special education. 

vi) a base for the itinerant teachers. 

vii) a monitoring service for the local schools and clinic links. 

viii) an active and extensive outreach service to parents and the community. 

c) the efforts of parents, medical staff, day care workers and others should be coordinated and effective procedures established to ensure that special education is provided to all disabled children. 

REC. 94 [para. 9.6.2] With respect to professional development, the Commission recommends that: 

a) a senior officer at the Central Resource Centre is made responsible for staff development. 

b) close liaison and collaboration between all professionals in the field (including Tlokweng College of Education and University of Botswana staff) must be encouraged and emphasized by workshops, provision of literature, research, and study visits. 

c) the Faculty of Education at the University of Botswana and the Tlokweng College of Education should develop the discipline by introducing courses in special education and promoting research in the area. 

REC. 95 [para. 9.6.31] With respect to human resources for special education, the Commission recommends that: 

a) all teachers should have some elements of special education in their pre-service or in-service training. Those who have not received such training during their pre- service courses should receive it during in-service training. 

b) most special education teacher training should be broad based, rather than focusing on a single disability. 

c) all associated staff, such as classroom assistants, should undergo in-service training in those aspects of special education with which they are involved. 

d) some specialists at the Central Resource Centre and other resource Centres should specialize in one area of disability and should be trained accordingly. 

e) a career structure should be developed for special education teachers. Their salaries should include some weighting under parallel progression in recognition of the nature of their work. 

f) the following broad based courses should be developed and put into operation as soon as possible: 

i) a one year diploma programmes for qualified teachers, or its distance education equivalent; 

ii) the three pre-service programme at Tlokweng College of Education; 

iii) the part-time advanced diploma at the University of Botswana. The total output of the courses should be 90 per annum. 

g) In-service courses should be given to at least two teachers per school starting with primary education. These should be relatively short (3 weeks). The first in-service students should be used to form the School Intervention teams. 

h) as the newly qualified staff become available, they should replace existing special education teachers in special education units. These more experienced teachers should become itinerant or resource teachers. 

i) an element of special education should be introduced into the training of pre- primary teachers, Day Care Centre leaders and other Early Childhood teachers. 

j) a framework for cooperation between associated staff of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Local Government Lands and Housing and non governmental organizations must be set up at all levels with the Ministry of Education being responsible for taking the lead. 

k) because of the developmental stage of special education, the Division of Special Education should retain special responsibility for its members within the dual responsibility relationship for primary education with the Ministry of Local Government Housing and Lands for at least the first year of the proposed development programme. 

REC. 96 [para. 9.6.33] With respect to physical resources, the Commission recommends that: 

a) a fully equipped and staffed workshop with provision for future expansion is set up at the Central Resources Centre for the production of teaching, assessment and learning materials, the routine repair and maintenance of equipment, the production of ear-moulds and the purchase maintenance and operation of Braillers for the blind. These last two functions could be sub-contracted to the existing centres for the deaf and blind namely Ramotswa and Mochudi. The Ministry of Health should continue its support by producing the ear-moulds as it is the case presently. 

b) the transport needs of special education should be evaluated regularly to ensure that it is adequately served. Alternative methods of supplying this facility including private transport should be considered in order to ensure that the requirements are satisfied. 

c) the Central Resource Centre is made responsible for the operation of the workshop and for the regular evaluation of the physical resources needed for special education. 

REC. 97 [para. 9.7.2] With respect to adult rehabilitation, the Commission recommends that: 

a) the non governmental organizations concerned should receive Government help in the form of a per capita grant for each trainee. 

b) the proposed Botswana Distance Education College should modify its programmes, where relevant, for the disabled. 

c) a Vocational Rehabilitation Unit be established under the Botswana Training Authority to cater for the job specific training of the disabled. 

d) responsibility for the liaison with and coordination of the Ministries and non governmental organizations concerned with the rehabilitation of the disabled and for fostering links with regional organizations, should lie with the Botswana Training Authority. 

e) employers should be encouraged to employ registered disabled persons, for example by means of a tax rebate. 

f) an annual high profile exhibition of the work and skills of the disabled (adult and children) should be mounted in order to sensitize employers in particular and the general public of their abilities.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE TEACHING PROFESSION

REC. 98 [para. 10.3.4] The Commission recommends that teacher selection procedures and processes be re-examined to ensure that the most suitable and appropriate candidates to serve the teaching profession are selected.

REC. 99 [para. 10.5.4] The Commission, with respect to pre-primary education, recommends that:

a) training of pre-primary school teachers should be part of the primary teacher training programme, with provision for teachers to have the option to specialize at pre-primary, lower or upper primary levels.

b) a special conversion course should be developed for trained primary school teachers who may wish to become pre-primary teachers.

c) the Departments of Teachers Training and Development, Primary Education and Curriculum Development and Evaluation should alongside development of a pre- school curriculum, develop a pre-service teacher training course to be offered in the PTTCs, and an in-service training programme for pre-primary school teachers.

d) the minimum entry requirements for pre-service training of pre-primary school teachers should be the same as the entry qualifications for primary school teachers.

e) a programme should be developed for the training of teacher trainers specializing in Pre-Primary / Early Childhood Education.

REC. 100 [para. 10.5.9] With respect to primary teachers, the Commission recommends that:

a) the entry qualifications into primary teacher training should be raised to a minimum COSC "O" level and the period of training should be three years. The Pilot Diploma programme should be extended to all the primary teacher training institutions so that all future primary teachers will be trained for the Diploma in Primary Education qualification.

b) teacher preparation should provide for specialization at pre-primary, lower primary and upper primary levels, with some subject specializations at the upper primary level as well. Subjects should be grouped for upper primary specialization, for example, Mathematics /Science, Humanities (English/ Setswana / Social Studies), Practical Subjects (Agriculture / Home Economics), and Art / Music.

c) the primary teacher training curriculum should prepare teachers to handle adequately some of the innovative methods such as Breakthrough to Setswana, Project Method, Continuous Assessment, Guidance and Counselling, Special Education, Remedial Teaching, especially to support assessed progression.

REC. 101 [para. 10.5.13] The Commission, with respect to junior secondary teachers, recommends that:

a) the teacher training curriculum should be diversified to meet the needs of the new three year JC. It should include training of junior secondary teachers with a commercial subject, including computer studies, as one of the teaching subjects and emphasis on pre-vocational preparation.

b) the subject combination of a major and a minor should be maintained to ensure a reduction in the problem of teacher shortages and maximum utilization of teachers in small junior secondary schools.

c) the Colleges of Education be expanded in terms of total enrolments and courses offered in order to ensure increased production of teachers to meet localization requirements as well as the extended junior secondary programme.

d) recruitment of students for Science and Mathematics programmes in particular should be intensified.

e) admission requirements should be reviewed to allow experienced primary school teachers holding COSC / GCE to be recruited for training as Setswana teachers. There are indications that enough Setswana teachers are produced by the Colleges of Education for teaching at junior secondary level. Therefore, before this recommendation can be implemented the Department of Teaching Service Management should look into the placement of teachers with Setswana as a teaching subject. For appropriate placement to be achieved the DTSM should communicate the details of placement with the Colleges as a matter of practice.

REC. 102 [para. 10.5.17] The Commission recommends the following measures to accelerate production of science and mathematics teachers for senior secondary teaching:

a) University of Botswana requirements for admission into the Science degree programmes for teachers should be reviewed to allow for direct entry into Year 1 of the B.Ed. (Scienc

e) course rather than transfer from the B.Sc. stream in Year 2, in order to increase enrolments in the Science and Mathematics teacher preparation programmes.

b) Students who wish to take up Science teaching through the B.Sc. + PGDE route should be required to register for the programme in Year 1 rather than decide after B.Sc. Year 4.

c) Besides the proposed Grant/Loan Scheme described in Chapter 12 and Parallel Progression for professionals and those in the science-based careers, consideration should be given to further enhance the scholarships of potential Science and Mathematics teachers through immediate incentives like higher personal allowances.

REC. 103 [para. 10.5.19] In order to attract students into Setswana teaching and retain them in the profession, the Commission recommends that:

a) Setswana teacher training should be included in the category of critical human resource shortage alongside the Science and Technical fields of study in the proposed Grant/Loan Scheme.

b) Setswana teachers should enjoy enhanced entry salary and parallel progression similarly to Science and Mathematics teachers. In recognition of the need to ensure that Setswana gains the status it deserves as a national language it is necessary to encourage more students to take it up and assist the language in its entirety.

REC. 104 [para. 10.6.6] The Commission, with respect to staff development for teachers, recommends that:

b) existing Primary Teachers` Certificate holders should be afforded opportunities to upgrade their qualification to Diploma level through either full time or part-time study.

c) the probation system should be strengthened to ensure proper induction of teachers into the profession, and over the period of probation new teachers should be assigned an experienced teacher, supported by the Head of the School and the Education Officer.

d) with the exception of the training of trainers, all functions of in-service training should be delegated from Headquarters to the District or Regional level within an overall decentralized structure of the Ministry of Education.

e) a structured national in-service training programme should be developed to guide in-service activities, starting from an orientation of a newly appointed teacher at the school level to the training of newly appointed headteachers / headmasters and Education Officers.

f) recognition should be given to in-service training courses attended when teachers are considered for promotional positions. Attendance of in-service training courses should be an added advantage rather than a requirement for promotion because a requirement would mean that all teachers would have to benefit from all courses offered and this is impracticable.

REC. 105 [para. 10.6.8] The Commision, with respect to school based in-service training, recommends that:

a) the Head as the instructional leader, together with the deputy and senior teachers, should take major responsibility for in-service training of teachers within their schools, through regular observation of teachers and organisation of workshops, to foster communication between teachers on professional matters and to address weaknesses.

b) the Education Officers` visits to schools should supplement the school based in- service training and should be geared more towards a general "performance audit" of the school as well as management training of the Heads.

REC. 106 [para. 10.6.11] The Commission recommends a review of the management structure of Education Centres with a view to creating a hierarchy that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of officers, be they administrative or professional. The resources of Education Centres will be upgraded to cope with the expanded in-service and other increased educational activities of the Ministry of Education.

REC. 107 [para. 10.7.4] The Commission, with respect to the career structure for teachers, recommends that:

a) procedures for selection of teachers for posts of responsibility at Deputy and Headteacher level should include a personal interview.

b) in-service training courses should be made accessible to all teachers at various levels to ensure continued professional and academic development.

c) schools should develop more avenues, not necessarily paid assignments, to enhance the personal development of teachers. Thus besides the conventional posts of senior teachers, deputies and Heads, assigned responsibilities could include Coordinators of Special Programmes, e.g. Guidance and Counselling, Special Education, Head of Year Group.

REC. 108 [para. 10.7.7] Regarding the grouping of schools, the Commission recommends that:

b) the number of posts of deputies, senior teachers, and other promoted staff should be re-examined on the basis of the size of the school, to ensure effective support of the Head in managing the school.

REC. 109 [para. 10.8.4] The Commission, with respect to the conditions of service of teachers and teacher incentives, recommends that:

a) all teachers should be provided with adequate accomodation and houses should be provided on an equal basis with other public officers/Council staff. In areas where there is an imbalance in the provision of teachers` accomodation, vis-à-vis other public officers, priority should be given to teachers during the first stages of implementation of the Commission`s report.

b) teachers who attend in-service courses for the purposes of improving instruction in the schools should have their accumulated attendance recorded and a specific number, or the equivalence in time, should constitute a credit for the teacher.

c) further training of teachers should be guided by clear and long term training plans with objectives for each level, and with procedures for sponsorship and release made clear to teachers. Further, teachers who have gained higher qualifications related to the profession, either through full time or part-time study, should receive appropriate incremental credit.

d) teachers who have demostrated excellence and commitment should receive special awards for outstanding performance in addition to the national and annual Presidential Awards.

e) one day of the year should be declared a Teachers Day. It will be a day when among other activities recognition is given to all those involved in the profession for their services to the education system for the year. Awards would be made on this day.

f) communication and information flow between teachers and the Department of Teaching Service Management (DTSM) and other Ministry departments, should be improved through various means such as a "Schools Bulletin".

g) in recognition of long, continuous and dedicated service of at least 15 years, teachers should be entitled to a mid-career reward of "Long Service" award.

h) teachers should be considered for sabbatical leave and encouraged to embark on a project of professional development.

i) teachers like other public officers should be afforded an equal opportunity, taking into account the needs of the service, to serve in all parts of the country on a fair rotational basis.

REC. 110 [para. 10.8.6] The Commission recommends that as part of the overall development of teachers and as an incentive, attention should be paid to their job enrichment and rotation needs. The goal is to create a pool of experienced professional for leadership in the various areas such as examinations work, curriculum development, and as resource persons for workshops and seminars.

REC. 111 [para. 10.8.8] The Commission recommends that appropriate intervals during a teacher`s career, there should be opportunity for each teacher to participate in an educational study tour within or outside the country.

REC. 112 [para. 10.9.4] In order to improve the system of teacher management and performance appraisal, the Commission recommends that:

a) the comprehensive and more rational decentralization of the Ministry of Education recommended in Chapter 11 should include bringing the functions of all departments concerned with the management and supoervision of teachers to the district level.

b) the Education Officer cadre should be significantly increased and deployed so as to adequately and more effectively provide inspectoral and advisory services on a regular basis.

c) Heads of schools should receive continuous management training involving skills of staff performance appraisal.

REC. 113 [para. 10.10.4] The Commission recommends that:

b) the necessary steps should be taken to foster, facilitate and promote the establishment and growth of teachers` professional bodies with the aim of ensuring their continuing and autonomous contributions towards the advancement of the teaching professionals from their respective areas of specialization.

REC. 114 [para. 10.10.6] The Commission recommends that the National Council for Teacher Education should be supported through annual budgetary provision, under the Department of Teacher Training and Development, to sponsor annual conferences on teacher education with a view to bringing together teacher educators to review developments, disseminate and discuss research findings and plan for future teacher education and training activities.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

REC. 115 [para. 11.5.12] With regard to information for teachers, the Commission recommends that:

a) the Department of Teaching Service Management should be responsible for writing and distributing a clearly written Teachers` Handbook which explains;

i) the organization and functions of the officers of the Ministry of Education;

ii) their rights, obligations and conditions of service.

b) The publicity unit proposed in 11.6.9 should produce and publish a revitalized Bareng on a more frequent basis (e.g. one per mont

h).

REC. 116 [para. 11.5.16] With regard to Inspection, the Commission recommends that:

a) the inspection of schools should be under one Department of Inspection formed from an enhanced amalgamation of the existing departmental inspectorates. Thework of ensuring and maintaining quality will include the following:

i) inspecting the work of a range of schools each year and reporting on trends, achievements and on the general implementation of policies. i

ii) providing support and advice for schools with problems.

iii) producing an Annual Report on the performance of the education system, a copy of which must go to the National Council on Education independently of the Ministry of Education. 

iv) detailed reporting from time to time on important themes, such as language teaching. 

v) monitoring the effectiveness of teacher training, including teachers on probation. 

vi) monitoring the effect and effectiveness of testing and examinations. 

vii) identifying in-service development priorities and monitoring the effectiveness of related training. 

viii) providing advice and participating in Ministry of Education policy formulation. 

ix) using a whole school team approach to inspection so that the overall school performance is evaluated as well as that of the individual teacher. 

x) posting inspectors at district level. x

i) ensuring communication between inspectors at different levels.

b) the extent and limitations of th