SELF-INFLICTED EDUCATIONAL LEPROSY, CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, OR OUTRIGHT LACK OF FORESIGHT?

Abstract

Teachers are very important and critical players in the quality of education debate. Their
importance perhaps arises from the key roles they play in the success of any educational endeavour.
Botswana’s past political and economic stability resulted in massive educational physical
infrastructural expansion from the 1980s into the 1990s and beyond, leading to incidental
challenges. Recently, performance across the educational levels has dwindled despite many
interventions put in place. This paper uses a critical theory lens to investigate the educational sores
affecting education in Botswana against the backdrop of the massive physical and human resource
developments made in the teaching sector. The argument advanced is that the investments made,
both physically and human resource-wise, should be commensurate with the returns by the measure
of the educational quality of the country. Factors that negatively affect quality education are
enumerated and discussed considering the uniqueness presented by Botswana. The discussions lead
to key areas that can be addressed to improve the situation.