Implementation of the Language-In-Education Policy and Achieving Education for All Goals in Botswana Primary Schools

Universal Journal of Educational Research 4(1): 157-164, 2016 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2016.040120 Implementation of the Language-in-education Policy and Achieving Education for All Goals in Botswana Primary Schools Eureka Mokibelo Communications and Study Skills Unit, University of Botswana, Botswana Copyright © 2016 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract Nations are tasked with expanding education, UNESCO and the World Bank committed to achieve six increasing its accessibility and quality to develop skilled specific goals. The focus of this article is on some of the labour forces needed to compete in the global world. Every education for all goals: expanding on early childhood care nation is under pressure to strive to give their learners an and education; providing free and compulsory primary opportunity to explore their potential to achieve the national education for all; promoting learning and life skills for young and global educational goals. In learning, language and people and adults and improving the quality of education. culture play a vital role in achieving educational goals at Achieving education for all goals is critical for attaining all individual, national and international levels. This paper is the Millennium Development Goals due to the direct impact part of the main study that used the qualitative approach to of education on children and reproductive health. investigate how the language-in-education policy is In the G8 education experts report (2009) of sharing implemented in ethnically and linguistically complex responsibilities to advance education for all, the participants classrooms. The policy recognises only two languages of adopted the ‘framework for action on education for All instruction: the national and a foreign language. Therefore, (EFA)’ which was regarded as a collective commitment to the idea is to see how such a policy is implemented in action based on a vision of the critical role of education for situations where learners do not speak the two languages. empowering individuals and transforming societies. The The findings indicate that there are challenges that could meeting responded to issues raised in the April 2000 meeting impede on achieving both the national and global discussed in Dakar for the World education Forum. Some educational goals especially Education for All goals as raised issues concerned out-of-school children that are regards ethnic minority groups. The study observed that believed to be hard to reach, since perceive education is not a some of the marginalized groups such as BaZezuru and San viable alternative for them in rural areas. In 2008, the lag behind due to language barrier and different lifestyle Hokkaido Toyako Summit Declaration reiterated the which are not considered in the implementation process. The commitment and paid specific attention to countries affected paper recommends a reconsideration of the by crisis and marginalized population. In addition it language-in-education policy that is inclusive in order to reaffirmed the importance of education and looked at the achieve the Education for All goals. efforts to ensure that EFA but 2015 remains achievable. Against this background, the report indicates that education Keywords Language-in-education Policy, Policy can play a key role in global recovery, growth and Implementation, Ethnic Minority Groups, Education for All development. Furthermore, participants supported the Oslo Goals Declaration of 2008 of ‘Acting Together’ adopted by EFA High Level Group (HLG) convened by UNESCO which fostered national sector plans that could streamline policies for equity and inclusion rather than perpetuating dependency. 1. Introduction The Summit recognized millions of children who have not attended school or dropped out early and that it is necessary Education for all is an international initiative first to support remedial education and give them second chance launched in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990 to bring the benefits in a systematic way. Other special attention was devoted to of education to every citizen in the whole society. In order to the quality of teaching and relevance of curricula, as realize this aim, a broad coalition of national governments, pre-conditions for improving learning outcomes. In essence, civil society groups, and development agencies such as as the way forward for the G8 Education Experts (2009), 158 Implementation of the Language-in-education Policy and Achieving Education for All Goals in Botswana Primary Schools basic education has to foster the development and growth in of instruction. The current language-in-education policy learners amongst other things. Basic education is a key factor recommends the use of Setswana at standard One with a in poverty reduction; it has to consider inclusive education switch to English at standard Two. This means that the two stressed on marginalized groups most at the risk of missing groups learn Setswana as a second language and English as a out on the gains from education. The development of foreign language as compared to their counterparts from education plans should contribute to an effective other ethnic groups. Comparatively, the two ethnic groups’ implementation of sound and sustainable sector plans with lifestyles are different but issues affecting at lower primary primary education priorities. These should be aligned with were quite similar in this study. wider education sector and other sectors to assure development results, close the gaps in education data, policy and capacity to accelerate action on EFA. 3. Methodology This paper is based on empirical research on the 2. Background to the Study implementation of the language-in-education policy (LiEP) in Botswana primary schools conducted in the year 2010 and Botswana is a country in Southern Africa with a small 2012 respectively. The pilot study of 2010 results are population of 2 099 024 (Republic of Botswana, 2011). included and discussed in this paper because they set a tone Botswana is one of the countries where English still and paved way for the main study especially where learners dominates in the post colonial era. The country has rich go to school only speaking the home languages. The group linguistic diversity with only 8 major tribes recognized. The that is singled out is that of the BaZezuru. This group seems tribes are not classified according to numbers but to political not to be widely researched in the language field; that is why status held by the groups from as far as the colonial era. it is of utmost importance to this paper. From the main study There are about 28 languages spoken in the country but only of 2012 three primary schools are used only because they two languages are recognized (Batibo, 2005). Setswana is enrolled the various San groups. Therefore, the total number used as a national language while English is the official of primary schools referred to in this paper is four because language. Amongst other ethnic groups in Botswana two they have similar characteristics of enrolling learners from marginalized groups are the focus of this paper: BaZezuru linguistically diverse areas. and San. The two ethnic groups have some similarities The study adopted the qualitative approach with an regarding the language problems encountered in the ethnographic aroma. The qualitative approach was chosen so implementation of the language-in-education policy. For that the researcher could study the participants in their example, BaZezuru are found in some areas of Botswana natural environment and hear what they have to say about the such as Gaborone, Serowe and Francistown and other implementation of the policy. The key objectives of the study villages but in small numbers. Most of them originated from were to investigate how the policy is implemented, examine Zimbabwe but settled in Botswana a long time ago. the implementation strategies used by teachers, explore the Wherever they settle, the BaZezuru groups isolate challenges encountered and establish solutions to the themselves from the rest of the society. They do not believe challenges encountered. in formal education but their lives are characterized by The objectives were explored using the various qualitative carpentry, metal work, needlework and buying and selling of research data collection tools such as the open ended food products they plough and buy. Hence, their children questionnaires, classroom observations, interviews and field learn about these skills at a tender age, and most of them do notes. The triangulation of these data collection tools painted not go to school but are taught how to earn a living through a vivid picture of how the implementation of the LiEP is acquiring the skills mentioned above. Research on BaZezuru done in various primary schools. The triangulation of the children in schools is limited, hence issuing affecting them is data also made the data reliable and credible as it was basic primary education and secondary schools could be observed that the participants were saying basically the same rather unique to this paper. thing in different ways through the data collection The San is another group of marginalized population who instruments. has a unique lifestyle which is different from the rest of the The areas of study used for this paper are carefully chosen society of Botswana. Most of them still live in remote areas with a distance of 100 – 1000 kilometres apart from different of Botswana where it is difficult to access formal education. districts. The districts were Southern, Kgalagadi, Kweneng The parents nowadays work as herdsmen and herd cattle for and Ngamiland. The primary schools sampled from these the people from recognized tribal groups. The government districts were characterized by ethnically and linguistically has built primary and secondary schools in settlements where diverse learners who do not speak the national language as the San children can access education by staying in hostels in the first language.

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