Botswana EFA Country Profile 2014

General Context

The republic of Botswana is a relatively landlocked country of southern Africa, surrounded by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. With close to 2 million inhabitants, it is classed as an upper-middle income country with GDP per capita of US$ 8,795 in 2012. Over the last 12 years, real GDP per capita has increased by 3.0 percent per year, the real growth in national wealth (4.1 percent per year) being significantly higher than population growth (1.1 percent per year). In 2012, the primary school-aged population (for a seven-year cycle) represented 15.5 percent of the total population. One of the important constraints to consider for the education sector is the very high prevalence of HIV&AIDS, of 23.4 percent, largely above the Sub-Saharan African average (5.4 percent). This illness affects both pupils and teachers, directly and indirectly. It increases the levels of absenteeism of each at school (due to care, death and so on) but also affects the annual recruitment of teaching staff, where attrition is higher than elsewhere as a result of the pandemic. In terms of the Human Development Index (HDI), Botswana is ranked 119th out of 187 countries.

Demographic and Macroeconomic Context (2012) GDP per Capita (US$) 8,795 Total Population (‘000) 2,004 % of the Population of Primary School Age 15.5 % of Out-of-School Children of Primary School Age 12.7 HIV&AIDS Prevalence (15-49 years) 23.4% HDI (Ranking) 119/187

Key EFA Indicators for 2012 or Most Recent Year

In 2012, the African EFA Development Index was estimated at 84.7, placing the country at a favorable level compared to Sub-Saharan Africa, for which the average index was 57. It is however worthy of note that the index has evolved little over the past decade, given that its value was already 82.1 in 2000. This is in particular explained by the virtual stagnation of the indicators related to EFA Goal 2 (Universal primary education), Goal 4 (50 African EFA Development Index percent improvement in the adult literacy rate) and Goal (EDI) SSA 5 (Gender parity in primary education). Such stagnation Max may appear to be relatively normal in as much as the (91) Botsw- indicators were already high in 2000 and that some ana were already very close to their 2015 target values. (85) SSA (57) Considering each of the EFA goals in order, it is apparent that preprimary coverage has not evolved over the period and that the preprimary GER (Goal 1), which SSA Min stood at 14.8 percent in 2005, has remained relatively (8) stable over the period (reaching 15.8 percent in 2012).

Primary completion (Goal 2), already high in 2001 (91.3 percent), has progressed equally slowly over the period (to 94.7 percent in 2009). Thus, in 2012, about 95 percent of a generation completed a full cycle of seven years of primary education in Botswana. It therefore seems reasonable to think that the entire generation completes six years of schooling and that Botswana’s specific objective of seven years of primary education for all can be achieved by 2015. In relation to Goal 3, the lower secondary completion rate has receded marginally, from 89 percent in 2000 to 84 percent in 2012, although this remains almost 50 percentage points higher than the regional average. The share of literate individuals aged 15 years and above (Goal 4) has witnessed a weak increase over the period (from 81.2 percent in 2003 to 85.1 percent in 2011). Gender parity at the primary level (Goal 5), already achieved in 2000, was maintained in 2009 (the ratio of girls’ GER over boys’ GER being 96 percent).

Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4 Goal 5 Early Childhood Care Universal Primary Learning Needs of All Improving Levels of Gender Parity in and Education Education Youth and Adults Adult Literacy Primary Education Preprimary Primary Completion Lower Secondary Adult Literacy Primary Level Enrollment Rate Rate Completion Rate Rate Gender Parity Index 100 100 100 95 100 100 100 100 94 100 96 100 84 94 67 85 80 80 80 80 80 68

60 60 60 60 60 16 55

40 40 40 35 40 40 20

20 20 20 20 24 20

(15) (91) (89) (81) (100) 8 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

Goal 6 Educational Quality Legend

Share of Primary Grade 6 Pupils Achieving the Goals 1 to 5 Minimum Level at SACMEQ Assessment * 100 Botswana (Value for 2000 or close in parenthesis) 93 90 Sub-Saharan African Average

80 73 SSA Range (min/max) 70 76 63 60 Goal 6

50 Botswana 38 40 44 Average of SACMEQ Countries (2002–07) 30 Range (min/max) for SACMEQ Countries (2002–07) 20 27

10 8 Note: * At least Level IV (In reading = Reading for meaning, in order to link and interpret 0 information located in different parts of the text; In math = Beginning numeracy, to Reading Math translate verbal or graphical information into simple arithmetic problems and correctly use different arithmetic operations)

Enrollment: Education Pyramids 2012 or Most Recent Year

To appraise the EFA goals, the data presented in the education pyramids enable to further detail the evolution of enrollment (access, retention and transition) and equity indicators.

Access has improved for all cycles. It has been universal at the primary level since 2000 and has increased by five and nine percentage points for lower and upper secondary respectively (from 89 percent in 2000 to 94 percent in 2009 for the former and from 46 percent in 2000 to 55 percent in 2009 for the latter). A similar improvement is noted in terms of the coverage of higher education, with enrollment ratios rising from 608 students per 100,000 inhabitants in 2000 to 857 students in 2006. Retention has improved for all cycles except lower secondary, where the rate has dropped from 100 percent to 89 percent. The primary to secondary transition rate has increased (99 percent of children completing primary gained access to lower secondary in 2009, against 97 percent in 2000). The transition rate from lower to upper secondary has risen from 52 percent to 66 percent. Finally, the share of technical education in total secondary enrollment, already modest at the beginning of the period, receded slightly between 2000 and 2007, from 6.5 percent to 5.3 percent.

Equity in School Access and Schooling Careers 2012 or Most Recent Year

Beyond the equity information previously indicated for primary, available international data do not enable to precisely appraise the situation prevailing in other cycles. The high levels of secondary access and completion suggest that at this level also gender parity in terms of enrollment should be a reality.

Learning Quality 2012 or Most Recent Year

In terms of the quality of learning outcomes (Goal 6), Botswana has participated twice in the SACMEQ evaluations (SACMEQ II in 2000/02 and SACMEQ III in 2007). The national score obtained in reading was above the referential average of 500 for all participating countries, on both occasions. Botswana achieved a score of 521 at the SACMEQ II evaluation and 535 at SACMEQ III. A similar trend is noted in terms of math; the country obtained 513 at the SACMEQ II and 520 at the SACMEQ III evaluations. Furthermore, the share of Grade 6 pupils achieving reading Level 4 (Reading for meaning: reads on or reads back in order to link and interpret information located in different parts of the text) was 73.8 percent in Botswana at SACMEQ II (2000/02) and 76 percent at SACMEQ III (2007), well above a great number of participating countries and above the overall average (56 percent for SACMEQ II and 63 percent for SACMEQ III). The math results at SACMEQ III again show that the share of pupils achieving the minimum level (Beginning numeracy: Translates verbal or graphical information into simple arithmetic problems. Uses multiple different arithmetic operations, in the correct order, on whole numbers, fractions and/or decimals) was above the average of participating countries (44 percent in Botswana, against 38 percent).

Education Financing 2012 or Most Recent Year

Sub-Saharan African Minimum Sub-Saharan African Average

Botswana Sub-Saharan African Maximum

Resource Mobilization, 2011 Distribution of Education Budget, 2009

18 10 Primary 19 44 Government 36 65 Revenue as % of GDP 11 20 Secondary 66 31 (incl. TVET) 30 55

7 Educ. Current 8 Higher Educ. 44 Exp. as % of 20 20 Government 47 Current 22 0 Expenditure 41 6 Other Levels 5 24

Despite the economic growth of the past 12 years, national income has slightly dropped over the period (from 42.8 percent of GDP in 2000 to 35.7 percent in 2011). This level of resources nevertheless remains largely higher than the Sub-Saharan African average (20 percent). The share of public recurrent expenditure devoted to education in 2009 was 20.3 percent. Although close to the 20.0 percent target previously set by the Fast-Track indicative framework, this is lower than the Sub-Saharan African average (22.0 percent). It has even witnessed a drop, of nine percentage points over the period (from 29.0 percent in 2005). This decrease should be placed in the context of domestic revenue however; in as much as the spending devoted to education as a percentage of GDP remains significantly higher than that of a great number of African countries.

The sectoral distribution of recurrent education expenditure shows that the share allocated to primary education has dropped over the period, to reach 19.2 percent in 2009 (from 24.8 percent in 2005), grossly below the Sub-Saharan African average (of 44 percent). This low primary allocation is however normal for a country that has virtually achieved universal primary education and is developing its post primary service delivery. The share of recurrent education spending allocated to secondary is 31 percent. That devoted to higher education is 44 percent, among the highest shares in Sub-Saharan Africa, whose average for this cycle is 20 percent. Sectoral budget allocations therefore clearly prioritize higher education in Botswana.

Education Policy Parameters 2012 or Most Recent Year

The review of public unit costs of education show that the cost per pupil for primary in 2009 was 8.3 percent of GDP per capita, which appears to be low (11.0 percent of GDP per capita for Sub- Saharan Africa), all the more so considering that it has been halved since 2005 (when it stood at 16.1 percent of GDP per capita). These data implicitly reflect a drop in the government priority given to primary education over the period. It is important to note that this drop stands in stark contrast with the nature of supervision rates (26 pupils per teacher) that are considerably better than the Sub-Saharan African average (44 pupils per teacher). It is conceivable that this very acceptable pupil-teacher ratio may have been achieved thanks to a modest salary policy, although no data is available on this point. Secondary level unit costs are 25 percent of GDP per capita, slightly above the Sub-Saharan African average (24 percent of GDP per capita). In higher education, public unit costs are estimated at 222.3 percent of GDP per capita and are slightly higher than the Sub-Saharan African average (178.8 percent of GDP per capita).

Over the period considered, private education has made a relatively modest contribution to EFA progress. The share of pupils enrolled in private primary schools has stagnated at about 5.0 percent (4.7 percent in 2001 and 5.8 percent in 2009). This share is low, not only in comparison to the Sub- Saharan African average (14.0 percent) but also with respect to the old 10.0 percent benchmark of the Fast-Track indicative framework. At the secondary level, just 1.8 percent of pupils are enrolled in the private sector at the lower level (against 20.2 percent on average for Sub-Saharan Africa) and 6.7 percent at the upper level (against 27.5 percent for Sub-Saharan Africa).

Sub-Saharan African Minimum Sub-Saharan African Average

Botswana Sub-Saharan African Maximum

Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Public Schools, 2012 Public Teachers’ Average Salary (% of GDPpc)

13 0.8 26 Primary Primary 3.4 44 88 7.1

13 1.3 Lower 13 Lower Secondary 35 Secondary 62 4.8 11.6

7 1.3 Upper 19 Upper Secondary 26 Secondary 5.9 48 11.6

% of Current Spending Other than Teachers’ Salaries Percentage of Repeaters, 2012

12.6 1.0 Primary Primary 4.6 24.4 12.6 65.8 40.4

6.4 0.3 Lower Lower 0.3 26.2 Secondary Secondary 13.4 63.5 26.0

19.9 0.5 Upper Upper 1.0 Secondary 31.8 Secondary 13.3 66.0 29.7

% of Pupils in Private Schools, 2012 Public Cost per Student (% of GDP pc, Cur. Exp.), 2009

4 Primary 8 0.5 11 38 Primary 6 14.0 6 54.2 Secondary 25 (incl. TVET) 24 75 0.4 Lower 2 Secondary 20.2 57.3 16 TVET 0.5 161 612 Upper 7 Secondary 27.5 18 80.4 Higher 222 Education 179 2147