Most people know Botswana as an extension of South Africa with its lush grasslands and exotic animals. It is classified as an upper-middle class country with high reliance on the diamond mining industry. While Botswana’s wealth has increased, the distribution of it has not been exactly fair and disabled children in Botswana suffer its consequences the most. Some of these consequences are difficulty accessing education. Although great steps have moved this country forward, poverty still exists and systematic change is necessary.

Disability and Poverty in Botswana

It has been reported that an estimated 15% of African children account for the majority of disabled peoples around the world. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) states that approximately 4.5% of Botswana’s population live with a disability and identifies the multidimensional poverty index at 20.84%.

Medical researchers, Jill Hanass-Hancock and Bradley Carpenter find that the current disabilities prevalent in Botswana are mental and sexually transmitted disorders ranging from around 13.7% as well as musculoskeletal, neurological and sense organ diseases that range 6-10%. Further, the UNDP underlines that extensive research has proven the great challenges that the disabled community faces socio-economically due to the increased poverty and lack of access to education, transportation and facilities.

Researchers Ermien van Pletzen, Bryson Kabaso and Theresa Lorenzo that “to alleviate poverty [it is important to increase] the levels of social, educational, economic and political inclusion of people with disabilities” as well as educate and advocate for the basic human rights of these rural families.

Authors Khaufelo Raymond Lekobane and Thabile Anita Samboma have stressed that a child-centered approach to the Botswana poverty crisis is the best response to solving these critical issues. An example is the The Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principle of the 2030 Agenda.

Justice for the Disabled

According to findings from UNICEF, few disabled children in Botswana are enrolled in school, with barriers including poor infrastructure and no teacher training in special education. Another strong issue regarding improvised areas versus developed areas is the large gap of disabled student (only 2%) accessibility to higher education. Initiatives to close the educational gap with disabled Botswanans have included inclusion education policy-making, increasing special education needs for marginalized groups who experience anything from behavioral issues and unfortunate circumstances or language barriers. In 2015, the government passed a new National Policy on Gender and Development improving education equality with more resources and training while protecting women from any form of prejudice. 

Policy and Action

One can trace the first policy of equal opportunity education back to 1977 with the Education for Kgahisano policy. This policy aims “to ensure that all citizens of Botswana including those with special needs have equality of educational opportunities…to prepare children with special educational needs for social integration by integrating them as far as possible with their peers in ordinary schools…to ensure a comprehensive assessment that is based on the child’s learning needs, and not on group norms, and which is followed by individualized instruction.” This policy was a huge stride for inclusivity within the disabled community.

Botswana children deserve to have all their needs met and their education customized to their learning modes. The personalization of learning is key for all children. All teaching methods should incorporate and consider diverse modes of learning. This policy enacted the assurance of equal opportunity education and assessment for all disabled and impoverished children.

Structural Improvements

The physical and sanitary needs of disabled people in Botswana, which include “blindness and inability to use legs account for the greater bulk of disability,” should inspire more access to clean water and bathrooms, ramps and easy access to facilities. In response, the Building Control Regulations implemented infrastructure improvements such as wheelchair accessible ramps, high-visibility strips and picture signage. When students can better adapt to their environment, the learning process becomes enormously easier.

Quality Education

The government’s Vision 2036: Achieving Prosperity For All plan addresses that fundamental resources for human development are essential, further stating, “education and skills are fundamental to human resource development.” Although this statement means well, only around 43% of children between the ages of 4 and 5 attend accessible learning programs with the budgets lending more to tertiary education programs. Even with 98% enrollment, primary school children are failing at a high rate of 33%. Out of this number, children with disabilities encounter structural barriers, rural concerns and no specialized teacher training leading to lower enrollment in primary and secondary schools. Looking at higher education, around 2% of students are disabled, magnifying the alarming lack of concern around disabled aid.

Functional policies are essential to provide full-access to early childhood development, more teacher support, enhanced learning environments and monitoring. Luckily, the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education and UNICEF have partnered to push these efforts forward. In another vein, UNICEF’s Child-Friendly Schools Initiative and Botswana have made it a priority to place more formative methods of education, rather than summative.

The Botswana Ministry of Education and Skills Development acquired the IEP (2011), placing “an inclusive education system which provides children [and] young people …with access to relevant and high quality education which enables them to learn effectively, whatever their … life circumstances, health, disability, stage of development, capacity to learn or socio-economic circumstances.”

The Results

In early 2025, the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education in Botswana produced a Temporary Teacher solution, allocating budgets to temporarily relieve the staff shortage. Yet, with recent staff protests, it appears that the hopes for better pay and working conditions continue to be a cause worth fighting for.

Socioeconomics will always have a connection to the quality of education the children of Botswana receive. Indeed, Vision 2036 has noted education’s importance in the country’s future wealth and positive efforts have occurred. 

– Melody Aminian

Melody is based in Irvine, CA, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels