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Cabinet approves PSLE abolition

The move, government says, will pave the way for 12 years of uninterrupted basic education.PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
The move, government says, will pave the way for 12 years of uninterrupted basic education.PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

The Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) has officially begun laying groundwork for the phased discontinuation of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), following Cabinet's approval to abolish the long-standing national examination from 2029.

In a circular dated July 14, 2026, addressed to school heads at all PSLE centres, the exams body confirmed that preparations are already underway to manage the transition and ensure a smooth wind-down of the examination over the next few years. "The Cabinet has approved the discontinuation of PSLE from 2029 and beyond," the letter states, revealing for the first time that the examination's phase-out is now entering its implementation stage.

According to BEC, the move follows a briefing by the Secretary of Education to Regional Education Directors and school heads on the streamlining of PSLE-related activities beginning this year.

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