05 Aug 2024

The projected average enrolment is expected to increase to 1 000 for each of the Tonota, Molepolole and Serowe college of education over the next five years, subject to availability of resources such as equipment and skilled human resource.

This was said by Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja in response to a parliamentary question on Wednesday.

This, Ms Makwinja said, was in line with government’s decision to upgrade the colleges of education to offer programmes at Bachelor’s Degree level.

Currently, she said the five-year average enrolment at the colleges included 333 at Tonota College of Education, 330 at Molepolole and 428 at Serowe.

“I would not consider the colleges for alternative use because government has a responsibility of producing teachers for public schools. Consideration can however, be made for shared use of the facilities provided there is no conflict of interest with the primary mandate of the colleges as provided by government,” she said.

She added that the teacher training colleges were relevant as contributors to human resource development in the country.

She said there were no plans in the near future to use Lobatse Teacher Training College for the purpose of producing teachers because there were already two other institutions of Serowe and Tlokweng colleges of education, which served such purpose.

“Lobatse TTC shall continue being used for other government business as is the case now,” she added.

Lobatse MP, Dr Thapelo Matsheka, had asked the minister to state the five-year average enrolment rates for teacher training colleges in Botswana, specifically Tonota, Molepolole and Serowe college of education as well as the envisaged and/or projected average enrolments rates over the same period to justify their existence.

Dr Matsheka also wanted to know if the minister would consider, on the basis of the enrolment rates, alternative use of the colleges including leasing to private education providers.

He further wanted to know whether dedicated teacher training colleges were still relevant as contributors to human resource development in the country and if there were any future plans for Lobatse TTC. ENDS