Gov't to introduce A-Levels
Baboki Kayawe | Thursday July 27, 2017 15:46
Chief education officer in the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE), Moses Mengwe told the ongoing National Primary School Heads convention yesterday that the bridging programme would be introduced in “the near future” without divulging any details regarding commencement.
The decision, he explained is in line with the National Curriculum and Qualifications Framework currently under design and nearing completion.
“Internationally, one is required to do A-levels or its equivalent as a prerequisite for entry into the tertiary level,” Mengwe said.
“For a long time the bridging programme has been the missing link in the local system where after completion of the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education, learners who wish to enrol with universities and colleges beyond our borders are forced to spend a year of studies doing that level.”
Mengwe however, did not expand on what the admission criteria for A-Level would be, except that the programme will cater for learners who show “aptitude and interest”.
Currently, A-levels and equivalent programmes are only offered by private schools in the country.
Government had to dig deep in its coffers to finance bridging courses, after the rolling out of the Top Achievers Scholarship in 2009, which kicked off with 19 students being placed in a number of universities in England, Australia and the United States. Qualifying learners awarded the prestigious scholarship were placed in local private institutions for A-Levels, International Baccalaureate (IB) or equivalent.
Still at the conference, Mengwe said authorities are considering teaching science as a compulsory subject only up to Junior Certificate Level. Thereafter, learners will have the latitude to pursue pathways of their choice.
“It does not make sense to make science a compulsory subject at senior school level when 80% of learners end up failing the subject and are disinterested, yet there are other subjects they are good and passionate at that they could have pursued,” Mengwe said.
Mengwe said the move would not kill the sciences, as the numbers of students currently admitted and those showing interest in pursuing pure sciences at high school level were “adequate to feed tertiary institutions”.
Authorities are also planning to restructure higher education, the chief education officer revealed.
“With 32 senior secondary schools across the country, higher secondary education would be restructured such that there are specialised schools whose mandate would be offering specialised areas and sports,” he said.
“There will be a comprehensive school which will be the typical large institution offering all pathways including a brigade and the others will be technical and professional studies where a variety of programmes and technical fields would be offered,” he said.
At present, Mengwe said six task teams have been appointed to look at the envisioned structures of senior secondary education.