Minister Kgafela faces criticism amid education crisis

It is in plain sight that the issues plaguing the Ministry of Education are going to persist even under the new regime of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

When schools opened last week, there was hope that at the very least, noticeable changes would indicate a new direction—something to suggest that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

For years, parents have complained about being forced to purchase food, books, chairs, and stationery for their children as promises that the government would provide these essentials free of charge remain unfulfilled.

Now, parents are still left to buy books for their children and ensuring that students carry lunchboxes to school.

The shortage of food in schools, even mid-year, was common under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)-led government, and at the time, officials would blame one another, accusing each other of incompetence while claiming that the funds for food purchases were available but that some officers were not doing their jobs.

As 2025 begins, these same issues persist, with students attending school and leaving in the afternoon without being provided meals by the school.

Another major concern raised by teachers is being overworked, with classes of more than 40 students.

Despite the large class sizes, teachers are expected to prepare learning modules, and teach, assess, mark, and revise lessons to improve academic performance.

They have expressed concern that students cannot pass under such circumstances, which may explain the consistent poor results in the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), Junior

Certificate (JC), and Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE).

There are fears that the situation will worsen this academic year, as the ministry is allegedly unable to hire temporary teachers, which might see class sizes exceeding 50 students.

These are just a few of the pressing issues that the newly-appointed Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Nono Kgafela, has inherited, requiring her immediate attention.

However, reports from highly placed sources within the ministry suggest that the minister has been unresponsive.

They claim that while the ministry is in crisis, she has offered no immediate guidance to address these critical issues.

Instead, it is said that her focus has been on her new office’s aesthetics, requesting an immediate revamp to suit her style. She is also reportedly struggling with trust issues, feeling that the officers she inherited are still loyal to the previous regime.

When reached this week to discuss how she intends to address the challenges within her ministry, the minister said she had no time to respond to this publication's inquiries, asserting she would share her messages on State media channels, such as BTV and Radio Botswana.

"I have nothing to say to you guys; I will share my messages with BTV and Radio Botswana," she said, adding that she did not wish to engage in lengthy conversations as she was busy.

When asked if she valued other media outlets more, the phone call abruptly ended. Repeated attempts to contact the minister went unanswered, with the phone ringing but not being picked.