Education Ministry faces shortage of special education teachers
The establishment of the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education has brought with it significant challenges, some of which were inherited from the previous administration.
These include a shortage of special education teachers, many of whom are currently employed temporarily, delays in teacher salary payments, and the need to align staff structures with the decentralisation process, all of which impact a conducive learning environment.
These issues came to light during the ongoing Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting, where Accounting Officer Mmamiki Kamanakao struggled to answer a barrage of questions from committee members.
Among them, Ramotswa MP, Boniface Mabeo, and Maun East MP, Goretetse Kekgonegile, grew visibly emotional as they passionately called for urgent improvements in the education sector.
Kamanakao was candid. The number of special education teachers is insufficient. She attributed this to the recent enactment of the Disability Act, which requires the ministry to broaden its focus, not just on physical disabilities, but also on intellectual and a wider spectrum of disabilities.
This shift presents a significant challenge, as the ministry must now equip some of its teachers with the skills needed to deliver individualised education programmes tailored to a more diverse range of needs.
She explained that the ministry is currently conducting a skills audit to determine how many special education teachers are available and to assess their specific areas of expertise. This audit is expected to be completed within the next three months.
As part of the ministry’s long-term strategy, Kamanakao revealed that discussions are underway with the University of North Carolina in the United States—an institution well known for its work in special education.
A memorandum of understanding is in progress, with the first draft already reviewed by the ministry and a final version expected to be sent soon. Through this partnership, the ministry hopes to implement a comprehensive training programme to strengthen local capacity.
Kamanakao also acknowledged that the country faces a shortage of general teachers, except for those in mathematics, which has led to the ongoing reliance on temporary teaching staff.
Kamanakao explained that the main reason temporary teachers cannot be employed permanently is financial.
'As a ministry, our wage bill is already too high,' she said, noting that nearly 80 percent of the ministry’s budget is allocated to personnel emoluments.
Making temporary teachers permanent would come with additional costs such as severance pay and medical aid. However, she acknowledged the critical need to ensure children are not left without teachers.
Hiring temporary staff, she said, is one way to address learners' needs within the current budget constraints. Kamanakao emphasised that neither she nor the ministry is withholding the budget.
'Government allocates a specific budget to the ministry, and I have to rationalise it primarily in the best interest of the children,' she said.
While the needs of temporary teachers are recognised, current financial limitations only allow for their continued employment temporarily. 'At the very least, it provides them with some income,' she added.
On a more candid note, Kamanakao admitted that there are persistent challenges with the timely payment of teachers.
'These issues largely stem from planning. Sometimes, our staffing needs exceed the projections we used when preparing the ministry’s budget,' she said.
There are times when the ministry must seek funding from other budget lines, which requires negotiations and the reallocation of resources—often delaying payroll.
“I must admit I have personally never been paid late.” However, she reassured the committee that steps are being taken to resolve these issues.
“We are in the process of digitalising our systems. Once fully implemented, the new e-platform will help us manage our obligations more efficiently and ensure timely payments. That said, there are still areas within the ministry that need improvement,” she said.
As coordinator of the newly-established Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education—particularly since child welfare was previously under the Ministry of Local Government—Kamanakao was requested to clarify which aspects of child welfare have been transferred, whether there will be staff movement from Local Government, and what the Department of Child Welfare entails.
'The Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs previously served as the custodian of children’s rights. Within that ministry, there was a Department of Social Protection, under which a Child Protection Unit operated. However, that unit also handled a broader range of social services beyond child protection,' Kamanakao informed the committee.
There is also the Department of Food Registry Services within the Ministry of Local Government, which handles programmes such as school feeding and feeding schemes for vulnerable groups, including children aged zero to five years, for whom items like cooking oil were procured.
Kamanakao noted that discussions are ongoing between the two ministries, and a position paper has been developed outlining the functions to be transferred to the Ministry of Child Welfare.
Among those is the Child Protection function, including the staff responsible for it. However, she emphasised that before any transfers can take place, engagements must be held with relevant staff and unions, as due diligence processes are required.
“Our two ministers are currently in dialogue to ensure that the transition happens smoothly and without disruption to essential services. For example, issues like feeding programmes are very sensitive. We cannot simply relocate staff without proper planning,” she said.
Kamanakao stressed that the core function of the new ministry is to coordinate child welfare functions across government—not to absorb all responsibilities from other ministries.
“For instance, child justice remains under the Ministry of Justice, while health and nutrition for children, as well as adolescent and reproductive health, remain with the Ministry of Health.
“Our role is to establish coordination desks within the Ministry of Child Welfare and to set policies, standards, and legislation. We will not be taking over the mandates of other ministries, but will hold them accountable for the quality of services they provide to children. Ultimately, we will be the reporting body that consolidates inputs from all relevant entities.'
In response to a question on inclusivity, Kamanakao explained that within the ministry’s headquarters, the Department of Learner Services under the Welfare Education division is specifically tasked with overseeing the needs of learners, including those requiring special education.
In schools, there are designated special education teachers as well as guidance and counselling professionals employed to address the unique needs of learners.
'In Botswana, our policy promotes inclusive education,' she said. 'We do not isolate children with disabilities unless their conditions are severe, in which case they are accommodated in schools with specialised units.'
Kamanakao, a former Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government, emphasised her strong support for decentralisation.
“From the moment I joined this ministry, I hit the ground running with decentralisation efforts,” she said. With the support of the Ministry of Local Government, all regional leaders have already been brought together to gain a clear understanding of what decentralisation means for the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education.
She stated that starting in the next quarter, regional offices will begin to assume financial and implementation responsibilities. The ministry is also working on a risk management framework to guide the decentralisation process in schools.
Additionally, support is being sought from the UNDP and the Ministry of Local Government to develop an education-specific decentralisation policy.
When asked about the timeline for aligning education administration with local government boundaries, such as ensuring that the Director of Education in Maun is not also responsible for the Okavango District, Kamanakao acknowledged the current misalignment.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day. We currently have 31 local government boundaries, and our goal is to align educational administration to each of them. However, this will not be achieved in the current financial year. It is more realistic to expect progress in the 2025–2026 financial year,” she said.