The EU shares in the Government’s resolve to ensure that children receive good education that prepares and supports them to face the challenges that life puts before them. Reception classes in public schools are one of the flagship projects of the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP).
The EU supported the MoESD in drafting the plan and it was approved by Cabinet in 2015 and is now the blueprint for the major reforms of the sector that are going to take place in the coming years, which will also be supported by the EU. “Reception classes in public schools are a concrete initiative by the government to respond to the challenge of many students not achieving their full potential in the school system,” said Ambassador Baum during the handover ceremony, adding; “Investing in reception classes makes sense from a government’s perspective; it is good value for money, because children that have received a good pre-primary education in general do better later in life.” Eighty-five reception classes throughout Botswana were equipped with 845 tables, 2525 chairs and 85 carpets early in the year as a result of the EU donation. During the last six years, the European Union has supported the Government of Botswana with almost 900 million pula to make improvements in the quality of its education system, and another 300 million pula is anticipated in support in the coming years. While the bulk of this money is paid into the budget of the Government directly, this amount also includes placing at the disposal of the MoESD international and local education expertise to help the ministry plan its work better and also to implement its plans and policies in a more efficient manner.
