Chairperson of the organising committee and a lecturer in educational management in the Faculty of Education at UB Dr Philip Bulawa said that this year's conference will address issues relating to basic education, particularly academic performance at primary and secondary level which has been declining in recent years. "The major problem is the disjunction between policy makers, researchers and implementers and this conference would like to close this gap so that these three communities work together, go into the classroom together and address the declining performance at basic education," Bulawa added.
This year's theme, Strengthening Basic Education Through Research, speaks to the need to look for that which academics and other relevant strategic stakeholders could do to improve the quality of education.Bulawa believes that undertaking research in the classroom could inform a solution to the declining performance in the basic education leaving examinations (PSLE, JC and BGCSE). Subsequent to this conference, Bulawa said the Department of Primary Education, to which he belongs, will make a follow-up with education officers and teachers who attended to establish if they are applying what they have learnt. The conference is characterised by presentations and group discussions. In attendance were, among others, representatives from Nigeria, Sweden, London, Permanent Secretary MoESD, technical advisor to UNICEF and MoESD, senior advisor Education Section UNICEF - New York (USA), teachers from primary and secondary schools from all regions in Botswana and their respective education officers.
