Get educated the BW way

Education in Botswana is free, but it is not compulsory. The educational structure mirrors that of the United Kingdom: there is universal access to primary and junior secondary school, but a process of academic selectivity reduces entrance to the senior secondary school and the university. The Botswana education program starts at primary level, where attendees are atleast 6 years old, then junior, senior and tertiary level. The first 7 years of this are at primary school. The medium of education is Setswana (alternatively other ethnic languages in different ethnic regions, as of 2023) for the 1^st 4 years, thereafter English. Literacy among people aged 15-24 is 96 per cent (2012 study).

Education Administration

In 2016, there was a major rearrangement of government ministries, and the old Ministry of Education was split into two new ministries, namely the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) and the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research and Technology (MoTE)

1. Ministry of Basic Education, MoBE

The Ministry of Basic Education exists to interpret education policies, design, develop, evaluate and ensure prompt delivery of quality education to learners from pre-primary to secondary education level through the coordination of in-service training, inspectorate and Out of School Education and Training (OSET).

2. Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science & Technology, MoTE

The Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology exists to provide and build knowledge and innovation through the development and implementation of Policy on Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology to transform Botswana in to a knowledge based society through effective stakeholder collaboration.

Accreditation of Universities

Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA)

BQA ensures all learners acquire quality assured awards through the implementation of a national quality assurance system. We coordinate an integrated accessible vocational training system that meets the needs of the learners and industry through the development of standards, quality assurance, policy advice, monitoring and evaluation.

Tertiary Education

For the past decade, Botswana has been on a trajectory to establish a vibrant tertiary education sector, investing knowledge, human resources and local and overseas funding to build a strong system. The vision is for Botswana to become a center of excellence in tertiary education and to attract foreign students. An education hub has been created to market Botswana as a destination for higher education.