- as gov’t admits education system still struggles to support learners with disabilities
Government’s pledge to make education more inclusive for learners with disabilities under National Development Plan 12 (NDP12) has sparked cautious optimism and concern among education experts as the plan lacks clarity needed to bring real change to classrooms.
Presenting the Education and Skills Development Sector chapter before Parliament, the Minister of Basic Education and Child Welfare, Nono Kgafela Mokoka, admitted that only 2% of learners with disabilities in Botswana reach higher education. She described the current state of affairs as unacceptable, saying, “The education system still struggles to support learners with disabilities due to severe resource deficiencies.”
Under NDP12, the government commits to promoting inclusive education through policy reforms, infrastructure development, and enhanced teacher training. The minister assured that “during NDP12, the government will adequately resource and implement appropriate policies to ensure vulnerable learners have equal access to quality education and opportunities.”
But education experts say these promises, while progressive, remain short on specifics. According to UNESCO’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report, many African countries have made policy commitments to inclusion without dedicating sufficient funds or training, leading to what the report calls “symbolic inclusion” — where learners are enrolled but not adequately supported. The report stresses that “inclusion must be matched with targeted investment in assistive devices, teacher special-needs training, and adapted curricula.”
Currently, Botswana has only 16 specialised schools serving children with visual or hearing impairments, and fewer than 5% of vocational training programmes are adapted for learners with disabilities. For many students, the absence of ramps, accessible learning materials, or trained teachers turns inclusion into exclusion by another name.
The UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) recommends that countries “ring-fence a portion of education infrastructure budgets specifically for disability-inclusive facilities and training.” In Botswana’s case, this could mean allocating part of the funds set aside for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and school rehabilitation toward assistive technologies and inclusive classrooms.
“Without intentional budgeting, inclusion will remain a policy on paper,” UNESCO IICBA notes in its 2023 guidance. The institute argues that physical upgrades and teacher retraining must happen simultaneously if inclusive education is to move from aspiration to reality.
The human implications are profound. Without adapted learning environments, many learners with disabilities are left to study in conditions that do not cater to their needs, often leading to frustration, poor performance, and early dropout. This, experts warn, creates lifelong barriers to employment and independence.
A UNICEF Africa policy brief on inclusive education (2022) found that children with disabilities are among the least likely to complete secondary school and are twice as likely to remain unemployed as their peers without disabilities. The brief emphasizes that inclusion must begin at the earliest levels in early childhood education to ensure equal learning foundations.
Minister Kgafela-Mokoka’s speech included plans to expand the reception class programme to two years across all public schools, a move that could strengthen early detection and support for children with special needs. However, without properly trained early childhood teachers and disability specialists, the benefits of such expansion may bypass those who need them most.
For families of children with disabilities, the stakes could not be higher. Inclusion, when done right, can open doors to education, independence, and economic participation. When done poorly, it deepens marginalisation and limits opportunity.
Botswana’s NDP12 offers an opportunity to turn policy ideals into measurable progress — but only if inclusion is treated as a core investment, not a secondary consideration. Ensuring that every learner can access classrooms, understand lessons, and participate fully would mark a decisive step toward realising the Minister’s own words: “An education system that truly supports every student, fostering an environment where diversity is celebrated and every learner has the opportunity to succeed.”
