Education ministry to intensify discipline in schools

The Ministry of Education and Skills Development will intensify discipline in government schools as a way of redeeming poor examinations results, Permanent Secretary Richard Matlhare has said.

Speaking at the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) presentation of the national examinations results the PS stated that top of their priority is to maintain discipline in schools.  This comes after the 2014 Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) results indicated a decline in candidates who attained grade C or better. The results summary over a period of five years indicate a general decline from 30.8 percent recorded in 2010 to the current 23 percent pass rate.

The PS revealed that they have even put together a task force to deliberate on possible discipline measures to be applied to all within the education sector from students, teachers and administrators. “We will be meeting with ministers to present them with various disciplinary action for the challenges faced,” he noted. Matlhare explained that the idea will be professionalising the teaching profession to build and not destroy teachers.

Discipline and the whole restructuring on the teaching and learning process in the country will be addressed in the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP), once the policy is complete. 

In his remark Director Basic Education Simon Coles said they are aware that there is shortage of resources and over population of students in schools, a factor that has also led to the decline in student’s general performance. But he said the hope is that the ETSSP will come with other learning channels like technical education to create room for all learners. “We will even consider assessed progression based on the availability of facilities.”

On student discipline Coles said they will be looking at fair use of it based on the students background and other factors. “The idea is to have students fully engaged in the learning process,” he said.