Venson-Moitoi confusion deepens
Gothataone Moeng | Thursday April 10, 2014 11:22
Last week President Ian Khama granted Venson-Moitoi a leave of absence from her duties as Minister of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), and placed her in charge of the Education and Training Strategic Sector Plan (ETSSP) in the ministry.
Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Minister, Mokgweetsi Masisi was appointed to act as head of MoESD in place of Venson-Moitoi.
On Tuesday, there was no mention of Masisi at the launch of the MOESD’s Thuto-Net governance strategy, with Venson-Moitoi pencilled in to give the keynote address in her capacity as Minister of Education and Skills Development. Venson-Moitoi was not at the event and a senior ministry official, Taboka Nkhwa delivered her keynote address.
Nkhwa made it clear she was delivering the speech on behalf of the Minister of Education and Skills Development. Nkhwa is the Secretary for Education Reforms.
The opposition Botswana Congress Party and a leading trade union have vowed to press for the constitutionality of last week’s cabinet reshuffle, specifically as it relates to Venson-Moitoi’s position. As it stands, the Education Ministry has two ministers and two assistant ministers.
Meanwhile, the ministry has revealed its plans for a coordinated effort to improve the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to make education more accessible to learners in and out of school. At Tuesday’s event, the ministry launched the governance structure for Thuto-Net, a platform for coordinated delivery of ICT within the education system. In the speech read by Nkhwa, Venson-Moitoi said the ministry’s implementation priorities under Thuto-Net include providing schools and libraries with modern computers and high-speed Internet access, increasing computer to student ration in schools and designing and implementing an ICT content and curriculum development programme for primary, secondary, vocational and tertiary education institutions.
“The ministry’s primary objective is to ensure that the education sector provides adequate opportunities for all learners to develop the necessary skills and knowledge needed to be active participants in the global economy,” she said.
“International experience has shown that ICT has the potential for knowledge dissemination, knowledge acquisition, effective learning and the development of more efficient education services.”
Venson-Moitoi said as with other sectors of the economy, education has made progress since the 2007 approval of the Maitlamo National ICT Strategy.
She said the ministry has introduced computer laboratories in all junior and senior secondary schools, and has, through partnerships with technology companies, trained teachers in the use and infusion of ICTs in teaching and learning.
However, out-dated computers, lack of electricity and infrastructure in some schools remain a challenge, she said.