Overview of the Country

Background:

Official name: Republic of Botswana 1
Capital: Gaborone 1
Location: Southern Africa 1
Official language: English 1
National languages: 1 (Setswana in addition to other spoken languages) 1
Population: 2,359,609 (2022) 2
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 20.36 Billion US$ (2022) 3
GNI per capita, PPP (current international $): 19,140 (2023) 4

Membership of Regional Economic Communities (RECs):

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  1. Gov.Bw
  2. Statistics Botswana
  3. World Bank - GDP
  4. World Bank - GNI

Critical Sector Strategic Priorities in Education include: 1

  • Improving the Quality and Relevance
  • Improving Equitable Access
  • Improving Learning Outcomes
  • Focusing on Life-long Learning
  • Strengthening Skills Development
  • Developing New and Alternative Pathways for Education
  • Improving Management of Education
  • Developing a Responsive Tertiary Education System
  • Improving Planning and Budgeting
  • Using and integrating ICT
  • Improving Monitoring and Evaluation.

Policy and Strategy References

Education Sector Plan:

Related strategic documents:

National Commitment Statement:

Early Childhood Education Policy:

National Teacher’s Standards:

The National Credit and Qualifications Framework:

Higher Education Accreditation body:

National inclusive policy:

Gender Policy:

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) policy:

Youth policy:

ICT Country Profile:

Resilience plan:

  • No data found

Climate Change Education and Communication:

  • No data found

Private sector: Non-State actors in Education:

Sexuality education:

  • No data found

Education Scenario for 2043:

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  1. Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Botswana. (2015). Education and training sector strategic plan (ETSSP) 2015-2020

Governance Structure for Education:

  • The Ministry of Education and Skills Development is responsible for policy formulation, curriculum development and evaluation, curriculum delivery, education human resource development and management, specialized support services, inspectorate services, ICT and media support services, education statistics, and education research.
  • The Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science, and Technology is responsible for providing and building knowledge and innovation through the development and implementation of policies on tertiary education, research, science, and technology.
  • Botswana Qualifications Authority provides for and maintain the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF) coordinates the education, training and skills development quality assurance system, from early childhood to tertiary level (lifelong learning).
  • Botswana Examinations Council manages, conducts examinations and assessments in general education and technical, vocational education and training, and awards certificates in respect of the said examinations and assessments.

Education System Structure: 1

The education system is structured across several levels for various age groups, including inclusive education for special needs and out-of-school learners.

  • Pre-primary education is primarily provided by private institutions and NGOs.
  • Primary education spans seven years for children aged 6 to 12.
  • Secondary education includes three years of junior secondary and two years of senior secondary education.
  • Tertiary education is offered through public and private institutions, providing certificates, diplomas, and degrees.
  • TVET is available at various levels, focusing on skills for the labor market.

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  1. Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Botswana. (2015). Education and training sector strategic plan (ETSSP) 2015-2020

School age population (2023)1

  • Pre-primary: 177,496
  • Primary: 397,588
  • Lower secondary: 160,769
  • Upper secondary: 101, 803

Gross enrolment ratio (2021) 1

  • Pre-primary: no data found
  • Primary: 93.72%
  • Lower Secondary: 78.00%
  • Upper secondary: 57.15%    

Completion rates (%) 2

  • Pre-primary: N/A
  • Primary: 96.55 (2016)
  • Lower Secondary: 90.28 (2016)
  • Upper Secondary: no data found

Out-of-School rate (%): (2021) 2

  • Pre-primary: N/A
  • Primary school age: 18.33%
  • Lower secondary school age: 13.91%
  • Upper secondary school age: 43.15%
  •  

Additional Resources:

Sources: 

  1. UIS Data
  2. UIS SDG4 Data

 

Proportion of children and young people achieving at least a minimum proficiency level by sex 1

Reading

  • in grades 2/3: No data found
  • at the end of primary: 65.38% (2013)  
  • at the end of lower secondary: no data found

Mathematics  

  • in grades 2/3: no data found
  • at the end of primary: 34.93% (2013)
  • at the end of lower secondary: no data found

Learning achievement in reading (Early grades): 2011 2

  • Minimum Proficiency-PIRLS (Overall average): 56%
  • Medium Proficiency-PIRLS (Overall average): 27%
  • High Proficiency-PIRLS (Overall average): 9%

Learning achievement in mathematics (Early grades): 2011 2

  • Low Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 60%
  • Minimum Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 29%
  • Medium Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 7%

Learning achievement in mathematics (End of lower secondary): 2015 2

  • Low Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 47%
  • Minimum Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 16%
  • Medium Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 2%

Learning achievement in science (Early grades): 2015 2

  • Low Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 43%
  • Minimum Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 23%
  • Medium Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 8%
  • High Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 1%

Larning achievement in science (End of lower secondary): 2015 2

  • Low Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 51%
  • Minimum Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 23%
  • Medium Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 5%
  • High Proficiency-TIMSS (Overall average): 0%

 

Share of children not able to read and understand an age-appropriate text by age 10, adjusted for the out-of-school children: 51% 2

Sources:

  1. The World Inequality Database on Education (WIDE) for Botswana
  2. World Bank; UNESCO.  Botswana - Learning Poverty Brief - 2022 (English). Learning Poverty Brief Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group

Percentage of teachers qualified according to the national standards 1

  • Pre-primary: 55.04% (2013)
  • Primary school: 99.77% (2014)
  • Lower secondary: no data found
  • Upper secondary:  no data found                                        

Percentage of teachers trained according to the national standards 1

  • Pre-primary: no data found
  • Primary school: no data found
  • Lower secondary: no data found
  • Upper secondary: no data found                                            

 

 

Sources:

  1. UIS SDG4 Data

School infrastructure and facilities/Electricity 1

  • Primary Education: no data found
  • Lower Secondary Education: no data found
  • Upper Secondary Education: no data found

School infrastructure and facilities/single‐sex basic sanitation facilities 1

  • Primary Education: no data found
  • Lower Secondary Education: no data found
  • Upper Secondary Education: no data found

Additional Resources:

  • For more information on coverage of the learning environment, including: basic handwashing facilities, and basic drinking water: UIS Botswana Country Profile

Sources: 

  1. UIS SDG4 Data

Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-64 years old, both sexes:  12.45% (2022) 1

  • Male: 12.72%  
  • Female: 11.92%  

Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-24 years old, both sexes: 42.08% (2022) 1

  • Male: 41.21% 
    Female: 42.9%

Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education

  • both sexes: no data found
  • Male: no data found
  • Female: no data found

Share of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET): 37.6% (2023) 2

  • Male: 34.8%
  • Female: 40.4%

Number of people 15-35 years old: 913, 723 of whom: 3

  • Employed: 388,881 people (42.6%)
  • Unemployed: 122,622 people (13.4%)
  • Inactive: 186,948 people (20.5%)
  • Student: 215,273 people (23.6%)

Total number of accredited Higher Education institutions: 84 4

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  1. UIS SDG4 Data
  2. ILO
  3. Africa Youth Employment Clock
  4. Botswana Qualifications Authority

 

Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes: 22.90% (2021) 1

  • Male: 17.88%  
  • Female:  28.00%

Total number of Accredited Higher Education Training Providers: 84 3

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  1. UIS SDG4 Data
  2. Botswana Qualifications Authority

Gender Parity Index 1

  • Gross enrolment ratio, primary: no data found
  • Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary: no data found
  • Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary: no data found

Adjusted Gender Parity Index (GPIA) gross enrolment 1

ratio, tertiary: 22.90 (2021)

Proportion of schools with adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities 1  

  • Primary Education: no data found
  • Lower secondary: no data found
  • Upper secondary: no data found  

 

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  1. UIS SDG4 Data

Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP: 8.06 % (2020) 1

11.2 Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure: 21.46 % (2020) 1

Additional Resources: 

Sources: 

  1. UIS SDG4 Data 

Literacy rate by age group (2013) 1

  • 15+ years: 86.82 %
  • 15-24 years: 97.46 %
  • 25-64 years: 85.96 %
  • 65+ years: 39.62 %

Literacy rate by sex: 1

  • Males: 86.12 % (2013)
  • Females: 87.45 % (2013)

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  1. UIS SDG4 Data

Proportion of schools with access to internet for pedagogical purposes: 1

  • Lower Secondary Education: no data found
  • Upper Secondary Education: no data found

Proportion of secondary schools with access to computers for pedagogical purposes:  1

  • Lower Secondary Education: no data found  
  • Upper Secondary Education: no data found

 

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  1. UIS SDG4 Data

Refugees and asylum seekers: no data found

Internally Displaced Persons due to conflict or natural disasters: 99

Sources:

  1. UNHCR Operational Data Portal – UNHCR (Botswana not in the list of countries)
  2. Global Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)