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Botswana

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Botswana is a nation in Southern Africa with a population of more than 2.6 million people (World Bank, 2022).

COL’s work in Botswana is primarily focussed in the areas of higher educationopen schoolinglifelong learning for farmers, and gender equality and women’s empowerment through skills development. As a small state, it is part of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) network and COL’s regional centre, the Southern African Development Community – Centre for Distance Education (SADC-CDE) hosted at Botswana Open University (BOU). Learners from Botswana are also benefitting from COL’s free online courses and other openly available resources.

Highlights


  • An Open Schooling Portal was launched to improve access of different learners to quality education.
  • 11,140 nurses/midwives in Botswana successfully completed one or more professional development courses.
  • The Assistant Minister, Ministry of Education and Skills Development attended PCF10 in Calgary, Canada (14 to 16 September 2022), including the Ministerial Roundtable.
  • COL’s Eleventh Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF11) to be held in Botswana in September 2025.

Partners


Partnerships are fundamental to COL’s work. Strategic partnerships allow COL to broaden its reach and engage at global, regional and national levels, while implementation partners support COL’s work in communities and institutions across Commonwealth Member States. Partners include multilateral organisations, regional bodies, national governments, government agencies, foundations, civil society organisations, public and private (not-for-profit) institutions and the private sector. COL partnerships assist in improving and extending teaching and learning services to people in the developing Commonwealth.

COL’s partners in Botswana include:

  • Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MESD)
  • Botswana Open University (BOU)
  • Human Resource Development Council (HRD-C)
  • Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana
  • National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI)

Key Contacts


Focal Point

Dr Mmabaledi Seeletso
Director
Southern African Development Community – Centre for Distance Education (SADC-CDE)
Botswana Open University

Notable Mention

The Honourable Dr Unity Dow, former member of COL Board of Governors

Dr Daniel Tau, COL Honorary Fellow

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