But secondary schools tend to look very much like they did decades ago-yes, there are now new buildings, even many new junior and senior schools, even new blocks for practical subjects that did not exist before, better libraries, enhanced computer laboratories, refectories and large halls.
The composition of staff and their formal training has also changed. Teachers are now meant to have more years of training and to be better educated. The parameters around which the staff and students work, though, is very similar to what happened in the past. The key objective still remains taking an examination, doing well in it, and getting selected to an institution at the next level.
The challenge before us is still how to make secondary schools be more vital, interesting and exciting places of learning (and for boarders, places where they are living). The secondary schools should also be engaging environments for all those who work in them: students, teachers, administrators and ancillary staff.
Can our secondary schools be redesigned to be better places of learning for the future? The answer should be, "Yes", but the process will never be an easy one. Secondary schools need to become more comprehensive in their approach. There are many limitations that need to be faced. Most people regard resources as the critical factor, but over the years financial resources have generally been available to support school development in Botswana. What is missing is a real vision to support change and the human resources to make change possible. It is possible that the conviction that what is being done now is the best that can be done stands in the way of change. The means need to be found to overcome resistance to change.
The curriculum is already set and must be followed. The content of instruction is established. The manuals and textbooks take years to develop and implement. These are the established parameters around which change must be negotiated. A new classroom pedagogy that meets the needs of students is an ideal that can be achieved without waiting for the rest to change. Improved academic outcomes and student growth are possible. It requires a change in the culture and learning environment of schools. Why are Form Four students still being given two strokes for being unable to answer a question? Is this really the way teachers believe students can be encouraged to learn, through fear and beatings? Or does it underline their failure as teachers to teach and stimulate students to want to explore and learn so that they can come to class with the answers and participate in discussions related to the issues under consideration.
Botswana secondary schools are a place for adolescents. This age group is constantly changing as the environment in Botswana in which they are growing up is also changing rapidly. It is not only necessary to redesign the curriculum and methods of instructional delivery, but also to constantly give the students an opportunity to also have an input into their schooling, to make choices, give suggestions, state their preferences and to also become involved in research as part of their learning process. This is necessary to establish what best works in their learning.
The style of teaching needs to change: there should be a shift from lectures to seminars; from formal examinations to written tasks; out with rote learning and reproduction of facts, in with experiential learning and a portfolio approach that facilitates individual creativity. This new approach calls for re-training of teachers so that they become classroom practitioners who can help children to acquire learning skills. The accountability for student performance needs to shift from predetermined labels that categorize students and limit their potential to a more fluid and flexible situation where each student's needs are met and where they are helped to progress on their own.
Another idea to improve classroom learning relates to the size of schools. In the next two articles issues will consider in more detail ways in which small schools can help to achieve these objectives.
