Fact: state of our education is atrophying

Two days ago the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) has released the 2015 Botswana General Certificate for Secondary Education (BGCSE) results. There is nothing to write home about these results.

The results show a decline in the standard of our education. It was during the era of Venson-Moitoi that automatic progression from junior secondary school to senior secondary school was introduced. This means that students who got grade C and D are admitted to senior secondary schools. We do not know what motivated this policy. It is not only automatic progression that is problematic, but also government policy that even students who performed poorly at BGCSE are admitted at some tertiary institutions. It is no longer about quality but quantity. 

About two years ago President Ian Khama removed Minister of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi and granted her leave of absence. Venson-Moitoi was appointed to undertake a special assignment within the MoESD. This assignment was to effect from April 1, 2014 until further notice, the nation was told. It was explained that the focus of the special assignment would be to oversee the development of the ministry’s Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan, which was a project undertaken in collaboration with international cooperating partners. The purpose of the project was to develop a comprehensive and holistic plan for the education sector, as well as harmonise and prioritise policies. It also sought to factor in issues of performance management and monitoring and evaluation of education sector programmes. The government told the nation that the importance and magnitude of the assignment was such that it would require the full time attention of Hon. Venson-Moitoi.

Editor's Comment
Closure as pain lingers

March 28 will go down as a day that Batswana will never forget because of the accident that occurred near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo, South Africa. The tragedy affected not only the grieving families but the nation at large. Batswana throughout the process stood behind the grieving families and the governments of Botswana and South Africa need much more than a pat on the back.Last Saturday was a day when family members said their last goodbyes to...

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