Development of a National Remediation and Enrichment Program for Botswana’s Schools
The Government of Botswana is committed to helping all students reach their full potential in both academic and non-academic areas. To fulfill that goal, the country is introducing a national remediation and enrichment program in all its primary and secondary schools.
Remediation is the provision of short-term supports for learners with academic, psychosocial, or behavioral challenges. The country’s national remediation program helps educators know how to fill in gaps in foundational knowledge or skills that keep individual learners from progressing. The program also helps educators know how to support learners who are presenting psychosocial and/or behavioral concerns to minimize classroom disruptions and improve the learner’s ability to function in class.
In the context of this program, enrichment provides support for individual learners with special interests, talents, skills, or gifts. To nurture excellence, Botswana’s schools will be able to connect learners with opportunities inside and outside of school in both academic and non-academic areas.
With funding from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), AIR has collaborated with Botswana’s Ministry of Education and Skills Development in designing and piloting the national remediation and enrichment program. In addition to creating the program, AIR has developed an efficient and robust approach for capacity-building that gives educators ongoing access to professional development resources and peer support.