BROKEN PROMISE

 

- The 100 Days Boko Promise: 'At the end of these 100 days, this administration will publish a “STATE OF PROGRESS” report to the nation. This document will outline what has been achieved, challenges encountered, and plans for the next phase of transformation. Regular updates will maitain transparency and ensure the government stays accountable to the people. I repeat, my first 100 days and my last 100 days will be treated with the same level of seriousness.'

Just over two hundred (200) days into the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC)-led government’s term, the promised ‘State of Progress’ report initially intended to account for achievements within the first 100 days remains unpublished.

In his inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA) on November 19, 2024, President Duma Boko promised a transformative shift in governance, placing education at the heart of inclusive development.

He presented an ambitious agenda anchored on restoring public trust, revitalising the economy, and ensuring equity across society.

Boko framed his presidency as a break from nearly six decades of BDP rule, vowing to govern through constitutionalism, accountability, and principles rooted in democracy, self-reliance, and Botho.

Among his early commitments, Boko pledged swift reforms within the first 100 days of his administration, and promised he would return to the nation to give a progress report of his first hundred days in office. 'At the end of these 100 days, this administration will publish a “STATE OF PROGRESS” report to the nation. This document will outline what has been achieved, challenges encountered, and plans for the next phase of transformation,' Boko said in his State Of The Nation address at the time. These included a financial audit of public funds, formation of a sovereign wealth fund, fast-tracking infrastructure projects, and implementing reforms across sectors including education.

One of the most significant changes was the transformation of the Ministry of Basic Education into the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, signalling a more integrated approach that addresses not only academic outcomes but also the emotional and nutritional needs of children.

The administration positioned this as a step towards breaking intergenerational poverty and building an equitable educational system.

In the education sector, critics argue that little has changed. Maun West MP Carterpillar Hikuama, who serves as the BCP’s Shadow Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, has dismissed the 100-day target as ill-suited to the realities of education reform.

According to Hikuama, genuine transformation in this sector demands long-term planning, legislation, and infrastructure not political catchphrases.

He argues that resolving issues such as teacher professional development, curriculum reform, and systemic inequities requires years of committed work, not arbitrary deadlines.

Hikuama contends that the government’s first priority should have been the long-delayed modernisation of the Education Act of 1967, a reform process initiated in 2007 that remains incomplete.

He questions why the UDC has yet to introduce a new Education Bill to Parliament that aligns with Botswana’s Children’s Act of 2009, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Without this legal foundation, he warns, all other reform efforts risk being fragmented and ineffective.

The BCP has also voiced alarm over deteriorating conditions in public schools, particularly in rural areas.

According to Hikuama, the decision to reduce the number of temporary teachers previously used to manage overcrowding has worsened classroom congestion.

Many schools lack basic infrastructure, with students learning in dilapidated buildings, school halls, or even outdoors under trees. Most concerning, is the widespread presence of non-functional toilets in schools, which he describes as a public health emergency.

The BCP frames this issue as not merely infrastructural but a human rights violation, disproportionately affecting girl students and discouraging school attendance.

For Hikuama and the BCP, addressing school sanitation, overcrowding, and outdated legal frameworks should have been immediate priorities.

They argue that if the UDC-led government is serious about building an education system rooted in dignity and equality, it must move beyond symbolic restructures and tackle the foundational deficits still plaguing Botswana’s classrooms.

Until that happens, the promise of a “transformative journey” remains, for the education sector at least, largely unfulfilled.

Meanwhile, President Boko this week stressed that quality education should not be measured solely by the presence of modern infrastructure. Instead, he argued for more comprehensive indicators

such as the availability of teachers, textbooks, and the general condition of schools to truly assess the value of education.

Addressing Kgotla meetings in Ramotswa and Tlokweng this past Tuesday, the President emphasized the importance of early childhood development, stating that the first 1,000 days of a child's life are the most critical, followed by the first seven years, which are equally pivotal. He said this rationale underpinned the creation of the Ministry of Child Welfare, aimed at ensuring children receive adequate care during these formative years.

He expressed concern over the widespread dilapidation of schools across the country, citing Maun Senior Secondary School and Moletemane Primary School as examples, describing the state of the Moletemane school as 'an embarrassment.'

He further lamented a growing complacency among parents, who, he observed, have become increasingly tolerant of poor school conditions. This, he warned, leads to the normalization of substandard learning environments and the acceptance of the unacceptable.