Country Review

Botswana
The impact of language policy
and practice on children’s learning:
Evidence from Eastern and Southern Africa
2017
 as the medium of instruction from Grade 1 onward,
2.2. Botswana but they have a flexible policy on the number of
years they teach Setswana as a subject
2.2.1. Background information (Nyati- Ramahobo, 2004, p. 45-46). The policy
Botswana gained independence from Britain in provides no recognition of other languages
1966. English remains the official language of the in the formal education system. However, Nyati-
country. Nyati-Ramahobo (2004) indicates the Ramahobo (2000, p. 274) contends that Botswana’s
lack of a clear policy at the time of Botswana’s language policy is not actually written in one place,
independence, although it was understood that noting that “it is understood, inferred and observed.”
English would be the medium of instruction.
Because teachers in Botswana did not possess 2.2.3. Education policy and practice
adequate English skills the use of Setswana,1 as
Two sets of language relationships play out in
the main language of Botswana, was accepted in
Botswana’s education system. The first is the
the lower grades.
historical tension between Setswana, spoken in
eight ethnic Tswana communities and the
The use of languages other than English in languages of non-Tswana communities; this
school was banned at independence, although in tension is evidenced by the choice of Setswana as
some areas their informal use continued. a sanctioned language of schooling (Smieja, 2003).
Because some officials insisted that English was Smieja argues that “this has had serious negative
essential, more resources were directed toward impact on the education of non-Setswana speakers
building English language capacity (ibid., p. 43). for many years and disadvantaged them for a long
Alluding to the reasons for rejecting language time” (p. 99). Tabulawa and Pansiri (2013) add that
diversity, Nyati-Ramohobo, notes that “the “ethnic minority [i.e. non-Tswana] groups have no
language planning process in Botswana is linguistic rights” (p. 33).
influenced by an orientation which views
language diversity as a problem, a reversal or Botswanan civil society has not been silent in
negation of democratic gains, a threat to unity, contesting this Setswana/English policy. The
social harmony and to development” (2004, p. Kamanakao Association, a civil society organization
44). Furthermore, Nyati-Ramahobo argues that dedicated to the strengthening and legal recognition
“the government prefers the use of English to of the Bayeyi language community, has been active
any other language in the country … [even since 1995. The aims of the Kamanakao.
though] Setswana, according to some scholars Association include language development and
2
is spoken by about 80 per cent of the population literacy in the Shiyeyi language . The Balumbidzi be
as a first language” (2004, p. 31). iKalanga (The Society for the Promotion of iKalanga
Language, SPIL), has been active in celebrating
Ethnologue lists 29 languages for Botswana. and raising the profile of the language and culture of
the Kalanga people. In both cases, influencing the
2.2.2. Current language policy national language policy to include Botswanan
3
Setswana is the medium of instruction in Grades languages other than Setswana is a stated goal .
1 to 4, while English is taught as a subject in
The second set of language relationships is
those grades. English then becomes the medium
reflected in the increasingly visible role given to
of instruction in Grade 5 and extends through the
English in formal education compared to Setswana.
tertiary level, while Setswana is taught as a
Today, both the lower and upper primary and junior
subject. This policy applies to all government secondary curriculum include Setswana and English
schools. Private schools, however, use English (Tabulawa and Pansiri, 2013).

1. Many of the languages of Southern and Eastern Africa are members of the Bantu language family. These languages are characterized by
the use of a prefix such as ki-, chi-, ci-, xi-, lu- and se-, which denotes that they are languages (e.g. Setswana is “the language of the Tswana
people”). These prefixes are variably written; sometimes they as well as the actual language name are capitalized (SeTswana), sometimes
only the prefix is capitalized (Setswana). On occasion, and particularly in the Ethnologue where country languages are listed alphabetically,
the prefix is omitted in favour of just the language name (Tswana). Spelling in this review reflects the spellings used in the sources.
2. http://kamanakao.tripod.com/thekamanakaoassociation/id10.html
3. UNICEF Botswana, 2017.

The impact of language policy and practice on children’s learning in Botswana (2017)
The impact of language policy and practice on children’s learning in Botswana (2017)
Describing the interaction between these two sets to make sure that students coming to school with a
of language relationships, Kamwendo, Mooko first language that is not Setswana or English be
and Moumakwa (2009, p. 221) note that “with given specialized instruction to keep them from
English established as the official language, and falling behind in Grade one.” (p.219)
Setswana as the national language, the exclusion
of the other indigenous languages continues.” Brock-Utne and Alidou (2011, p.199) also mention
This is not all good news for Setswana, however; a study in which Prophet and Dow (1994) found
“although Setswana occupies a privileged that students in the first year of secondary school
position, this does not imply by any means that
(Form 1), when taught science concepts in
the language is safe from the domineering effects
Setswana, had a significantly better
of English, which by all standards has asserted
understanding of concepts than their peers who
itself as the main global language.” Batibo takes
were taught in English.
this view even further, arguing that “as Batswana
[people of Botswana] become active members of
this [global] village and therefore become prey to
2.2.5. Language education initiatives
the dictates of the key players, they will Breakthrough to Setswana
progressively lose their linguistic and cultural In the early 1980s, the Breakthrough to Setswana
identity” (Batibo, 2004, p. 59). programme for lower primary school children was
developed in South Africa by the Molteno Project,
at Rhodes University’s Institute for the Study of
2.2.4. Studies English in Africa. The programme was adapted
Commeyras and Ketsitlile (2013) describe a from the British Breakthrough to Literacy program of
review of literature on reading in Botswana that the 1970s. Breakthrough to Setswana was begun in
was carried out in 2007 with support from the 1983 funded by the Ministry of Education.
International Reading Association. The authors
first note that “it is important to keep in mind that
In 1995 a programme evaluation was carried out, at
English is the second or third language for most
the request of the Ministry of Education and with
students, and Setswana is the second language
funding from the British Council. By this time, it had
for a significant minority of students” (pp. 214-5).
extended to more than 800 schools. The evaluation,
They then describe two relevant research
initiatives. One, by Nyati-Ramahobo (1987), documented by Peacock and Morakaladi (1995),
found that students for whom Setswana was a was ambivalent about the impact of the programme,
second language consistently scored lower on although it recognized that the sample of schools
primary leaving examinations than did those for evaluated was small.
whom Setswana was a first language. The other
was a linguistic research project by Lekgoko and A 2007 study of how reading is taught in
Winskel (2008), on the challenges faced by Botswanan schools (Biakolo, 2007) also
students in becoming biliterate in Setswana and mentioned the Breakthrough programme and was
English, given that the very different sound somewhat critical of the way the programme had
systems of the two languages map onto the same been implemented. The study also suggested that
set of written symbols. reading should be taught as a subject of its own,
rather than as part of the language curriculum.
Analysing these findings, Commeyras and
Ketsitlile conclude that “learning to read in Education initiatives in other languages of Botswana
English is different and more difficult than over the past years have included the development
learning to read in Setswana” (p. 215). They of Naro-language educational materials and literacy
also argue that “early interventions are needed programs, and the development of reading materials
work in Shiyeyi by the Kamanakao Association.

The impact of language policy and practice on children’s learning in Botswana (2017)