Education Fact Sheet

Minister of Education:  Hon. Mrs Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi
Education System: 7-3-2

(7 years of primary, 3 years of junior secondary and 2 years of senior secondary education)

Currently, all school-age going children have a right to the first ten years of school.  The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), taken at the end of the primary level, is no longer used for selection into junior secondary school.  However, the Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) taken at the end of the junior secondary is used to determine progression into senior secondary school.

The Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Examination (BGCSE), which is taken at the end of senior secondary education, also determines entry into different tertiary institutions.  All three examinations are local. The senior secondary schools available cannot absorb all JCE leavers.  The pupils who do not follow the academic route can enroll for vocational education through apprenticeship or other forms of vocational training.

Duration of compulsory education: 10 years

Starting age of compulsory education: 6 years

Ending age of compulsory education: 15 years

Enrolment in 2005*

		Female	Male	Total
Primary	Gross enrolment rate	106.0	107.5	106.7
	Net enrolment rate	85.4	82.6	84.0
Secondary	Gross enrolment rate	78.3	74.7	76.5
	Net enrolment rate	59.5**	52.3**	55.9**

 

		Female	Male	Total
Primary	Gross enrolment rate	106.0	107.5	106.7
	Net enrolment rate	85.4	82.6	84.0
Secondary	Gross enrolment rate	78.3	74.7	76.5
	Net enrolment rate	59.5**	52.3**	55.9**

		Female	Male	Total
Primary	Gross enrolment rate	106.0	107.5	106.7
	Net enrolment rate	85.4	82.6	84.0
Secondary	Gross enrolment rate	78.3	74.7	76.5
	Net enrolment rate	59.5**	52.3**	55.9**

Pupil - Teacher Ratios in 2005*

• Primary: 24.2 pupils per teacher
• Secondary: 13.6 pupils per teacher**

*latest data as of March 2009 from UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
**UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimation.