Chief Education Officer
Ministry of Basic Education- Botswana
Total years of experience :37 years, 8 Months
The Ministry of Basic Education is currently prioritising the implementation of the Educational Training Sector Strategy Plan (ETSSP). ETSSP plays a pivotal role in the development of a modern, sustainable knowledge based economy that supports inclusiveness and diversity.
As Chief Education Officer I serve as the Head and am responsible for the coordination and management of Matsha Lifelong Learning Centre (MLLC) I manage, coordinate and implement Skills Development programmes as well as Literacy teaching for both children, youth and adults; in school and out of school. The Lifelong learning Centre is mandated to offer and drive the Lifelong learning (LLL) sub-sector of the ETSSP.
The LLL sub-sector’s main focus is training and skills provision for economic as well as social development; community participation and individual functionality. The Out of School Education and Training ( OSET) is focusing on strengthening LLL at basic skills and key competency levels expanding learning opportunities for out of school youth and adults through the Adult Basic Education Programme (ABEP), Out of School Education for Children (OSEC) and Skills Development and Training Programme.
As the Coordinator of the OSET programmes I exist to create multi opportunities for adults, youth and children to learn. My role as CEO is to provide a wide variety of non-formal learning activities using alternative modes especially to serve out of school youth and adults. I do advocacy and mobilisation as well as providing leadership in organising the day to day running of programmes. I am charged with developing and driving the performance strategy to ensure that the Centre achieves its goal or mandate in the best possible, sustainable and affordable way.
To strive to provide skills training and Development for learners Botswana Government established two major Resource Centres in the country. These are the Matsha Lifelong Learning in Kang Village where I am based and Thamalakane Lifelong learning Centre in Maun. The Centres are used for capacity building by training Programme facilitators to coordinate and support the implementation and delivery of quality OSET programmes as well as Skills Development Programmes for learners.
On another note, we live in a globally digital world. There is therefore a need to take care of technological divide amongst the population. The OSET through the Centres train the out of school population to keep abreast with the rapid technological challenges of the 21st century is a priority. This calls for provision of competencies including digital literacy skills. OSET provides out of school educational services for children to ensure that educationally excluded children, youth and adults can successfully complete basic education through use of various media. Digital literacy skills become critical to be inclusive. For MLLC to realise this goal we liaise with appropriate stakeholders and partners who provide various sponsorship that benefit our clientele.
MLLC is also used as a National In-service Training facility for formal school teachers. In addition to ensuring that the facility is cared for I also facilitate as master trainer the English Literacy teaching to learners of all ages. I train OSET facilitators to be assessors and moderators of the programme.
As part of supervision and monitoring of the programme implementation I carry out assessment of learners for suitable and appropriate placement of learning levels. The Facilitators are visited to provide support and assess them for accreditation purposes with Botswana Qualifications Authority.
On the whole, on a daily basis, I also serve as a Centre Manager. As such, I oversee the running of the Centre that houses the Botswana Open University with a staff roll of around forty people, the Botswana National Library Service, and MLLC staff of over fifty. I am in-charge of the Human Resource issues, budget control, Centre maintenance and upkeep.
Overseeing Matsha Lifelong Learning Centre turnaround strategies.
Chief Education Officer (D1) -
for Performance Management System for North Region
• Coordinated and managed activities for the Districts.
•Initiated and established two community learning centre (Kwaedza) at Matshelagabedi and Marobathutlwa in Mopipi Village that are still used to service out of school education programmes.
• Mobilised and facilitated the registration of Matshelagabedi Village economic Trust for youth and adults that seek to empower and eradicate poverty among the rural Batswana.
•Managed and authorised all forms of expenditures in the Region; prepared monthly reports for financial expenditure.
• Served as member of both District and Urban Development Committees in Letlhakane, Masunga and Francistown including all other District level committees
District Adult Education Officer (C1) - Department of Non-Formal Education - Letlhakane
C2) Department of Non-Formal Education - Molepolole
I was supervising Literacy Group Leaders, Training and supporting them. I checked and monitored their performance and verified the learners attendance registers before preparing their payments.
Supervised 20 Literacy Group Leaders (LGLs)
•Prepared payments for LGLs
•Served as Administration Officer (Personnel management)
•Served as storekeeper
Bachelor of Education (Adult) First Class
Certificate in Management -Pass
in Adult Education - Merit