Two-year pre-primary education programme due
Gothataone Moeng | Friday May 16, 2014 17:33
Acting Minister, Mokgweetsi Masisi this week told primary school heads that between 2017 and 2018, the ministry would introduce the pre-primary programme in all public primary schools.
Masisi’s announcement follows the introduction of the Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) Diploma in public education colleges. Although the ECCE Diploma has been offered by private institutions, and Colleges of Education to an extent, it will be the first time the Diploma is offered in full within a public institution. The Serowe College of Education Diploma will initially offer the ECCE Diploma.
Education spokesperson, Silas Sehularo could not confirm the number of students that will be enrolled in the programme, but said the government is looking to enroll as many as possible.
“In the long-run the ministry would want to roll out pre-school education in all schools. Many teachers would be needed, depending on the number of primary schools in the country and the streams per school,” he said.
The Ponatshego Kedikilwe-headed commission which came up with the 1994 Revised National Policy on Education (RNPE), recommended pre-primary education as a critical part of the education.
Although the Ministry previously piloted the pre-primary education, its provision has largely stayed within the ambit of the private sector and civil society.
In 2012, however, the Ministry introduced Standard One Orientation, which according, to Sehularo, is being piloted in 120 schools.
At the School Heads Conference, Masisi said his ministry was ready to roll out the programme nationwide, as it will with the reception classes programme.
Masisi said the ministry would also introduce a compulsory remediation programme for children with special educational needs from Standard 1 to 7 to be implemented nationally.
“The initiatives are not exhaustive but include, amongst others, setting guidelines, staffing, training, advocacy, developing a monitoring and evaluation system as well as action research on causes of declining performance,” Masisi told the conference.
Meanwhile, at the same conference, the University of Botswana’s Professor Richard Tabulawa urged school heads to contemplate their roles in the evolving educational landscape.
He urged them to find new ways of executing their duties in a way that will help educate students become innovative and creative workers.