Local NGO and research organization Youth Impact calls upon the new Ministry of Child Welfare & Basic Education to reflect on the gaps recently identified in Botswana’s basic education in Youth Impact’s annual survey, and implores the Ministry to integrate a focus on foundational education into its policies.
Local NGO and research organization Youth Impact carried out a study of nearly 2000 standard 4 students across three of Botswana’s regions in 2024. They found that while 77 percent of learners had mastered two-digit addition, only 11 percent could do basic division, both standard 3 skills, according to the national curriculum.
Students are proceeding through school without meeting minimum requirements. The further behind students fall, the less likely it is they will catch up. Without a minimum proficiency in maths and literacy, students will be unable to achieve greater heights in any academic discipline, leading to an unskilled and unproductive workforce in Botswana’s future.
Youth Impact’s key recommendation to the new Ministry of Child Welfare & Basic Education is to prioritize foundational skills. Practically, this means ensuring that all children in lower primary grades have mastered the building blocks before moving onto more complex concepts. Two important ways to improve foundational learning are training teachers in targeted instruction - meeting the children where they are and ability grouping, both easy to implement with adequate teacher support.
Co-Founder of Youth Impact Moitshepi Matsheng says “We are dismayed by the latest results of our annual survey which show that primary students are not mastering basic foundational skills, but equally we are excited by the opportunities offered by the new Government of Botswana. Education is the cornerstone of development for any generation. We hope that the dire ‘state of education’ is considered by the new Government when developing education policies.”
Key Contacts
Moitshepi Matsheng, Youth Impact Co-Founder (mmatsheng@youth-impact.org) (+267) 72 543 819
About Youth Impact
Youth Impact is an evidence-based, youth-led organization based in Botswana that identifies, adapts, and scales up health and education programs for young people around the world hand in hand with governments. At the core of Youth Impact’s work is the understanding that when young people thrive, we all do. Founded in 2014 by Moitshepi Matsheng and Noam Angrist, the organization has since grown to over 400 team members in over 10 countries. Youth Impact has three programs in its portfolio: Zones, Teaching at the Right Level, and ConnectEd. The organization also conducts research and supports other organizations to apply evidence-based approaches in their own work. The research referenced in this press release will be released in full in January 2025.
Since 2018, Youth Impact has worked with the Government of Botswana through a Memorandum of Understanding to scale a foundational (remedial) maths and literacy program in primary schools across the country. The program has proven results and is one way to ensure every child receives tailored, effective foundational education. Youth Impact looks forward to a continued relationship with the Government of Botswana to support foundational education in schools and make sure that no child is left behind.
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