Pre-school education lays the groundwork for a child's learning journey. Despite the increasing value attached to pre-school education and its recognition by the revised National Education Policy, many pre-school teachers remain untrained, which may compromise the quality of education. This was revealed in a recent publication titled "Pre-Primary Stats - Statistics Botswana 2022." The publication highlights pre-primary and primary education statistics derived from data collected during the 2022 annual school census. Acting Statistician General, Dr Lucky Mokgatlhe, emphasised that education is a vital tool for measuring human and societal development. "The production of timely and reliable education statistics is important for monitoring and evaluating the impact of investment in education by the government, the private sector, NGOs, and other stakeholders. The statistics in this report will help monitor existing education policies, inform planning and decision-making, and serve as evidence of the country's progress towards national and international education goals," said Mokgatlhe.
Research has linked early learning and development to the educational qualifications of teachers. "The most effective pre-school teachers are those with at least a four-year college degree and specialised training in early childhood education. These teachers have more responsive interactions with children, provide richer language and cognitive experiences, and are less authoritarian. High-quality preschool education depends on effective, high-quality teachers," states the report. The report reveals that the majority of pre-school teachers in Botswana are Batswana. Out of a total of 3, 372 teachers, 3, 206 (95.1%) were Batswana, while the rest were foreigners, predominantly female. The Kweneng District had the highest number of pre-primary school teachers, with 449 teachers, while the Sowa District had the least, with only two teachers. Preschool teaching staff is predominantly female, constituting 96.5% of the workforce.
