Ministry of Basic Education
Curriculum Development & Evaluation
Mandate
Department of Curriculum Development and Evaluation (COE) is a department in MoBE responsible for interpreting and operationalising policies; developing educational programmes and support materials for pre-primary, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary education including out-of-school education and training.
Vision
To be a reputable provider of quality general education curricula
Mission
To design, develop and evaluate national curricula and provide support services for all learners across general education levels including out-of-school education and training
Values
Customer Focus
Transparency
Flexibility
Botho
Excellence
Botswana Education Reform
Botswana education system is going through a comprehensive educational reform as consideration for and in response to national pronouncements, national aspirations; “prosperity for all” and international protocols. This reform will be achieved by executing the statements of a blueprint called General Education Curriculum and Assessment Framework
Major Reforms
- Pre-primary and Primary Education
- Primary Education National Examinations
- Science as a compulsory subject
- Introducing Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced level equivalent Education after Senior Secondary Education
- Assessment: National Examinations and School Based
- Introducing Pathways to provide varied education options
GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK (GECAF)
The blueprint was informed by the Revised National Policy on Education (1994), National Development Plan (NDP 10), Vision 2015, Vision 2036, Human Resource Development Strategy (HRDS), among others. Central to its implementation was the introduction of education and training sector strategic planning (ETSSP 2015-2020) which was designed to extensively reform education from pre-primary to tertiary level, so as to transform Botswana from a resource to a knowledge-based society leveraging on skills based education . The two most outstanding features of the blueprint are Outcome Based Education (OBE) and Multiple Pathways.
OUTCOME BASED EDUCATION
It is a methodology premised on competency rather than mere knowledge. It leverages on the belief that all learners can learn but at different rates. Learners have varied gifts and talents and therefore need to be given opportunity to study as per their aptitudes. In this dispensation learners are allowed to construct their own knowledge while the teacher facilitates rather than prescribe.
MULTIPLE PATHWAYS SYSTEM
Based on the understanding that learners are differently gifted, the multiple pathways approach allows learners to choose subjects guided by the career pathways they intend to pursue. It allows learners to focus their energy in what they value rather than pursue subjects for certification requirements. The subject choices guided by the learners’ career pathways address a national mismatch between the market and graduates .
Some of the new subjects that are vocationally oriented and conforming to the pathways approach, are Tourism and Hospitality studies offered at Maun senior secondary school and Agriculture: Horticulture, Field crop Production and Animal production offered at Moeng senior secondary School, using a phase-in approach.
REFORM STRATEGIES
- Roll out two years of reception (4-5 years) and the reduction of primary education from 7 years to 6 years
- Phasing out PSLE and replacing it with robust School Based Assessment to facilitate mastery of numeracy and literacy
- Science compulsory up to JC and optional at senior secondary level
- Offer A level or As level equivalent courses in selected schools to ensure international marketability and relevance
- Government to adopt 12 years of basic education in response to the education 2030 (Botswana is amongst the 184 UNESCO remembers states that adopted it.)
