05 Mar 2025

Around 109 916 young people or 43 per cent of public school students faced exit from the school system at Form 3 for the period between 2019 and 2024.

Answering a question in Parliament, the Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education Dr Nono Kgafela-Mokoka said the number accounted for learners who were not immediately admitted into senior secondary schools. The minister said some of the learners, however re-sat for Junior Certificate Examinations to improve their results.

She said such were then absorbed as new entrants into senior secondary school while some enrolled with Technical and Vocational Education and training institutions. Dr Kgafela-Mokoka said a total number of young people who exited the Basic Education system at Form 5 between 2019 and 2023 was 182 661.

She said the statistics for 2024 cadre were yet to be released noting that form 5 was the terminal point for Basic Education hence the number referred to the graduates of Basic Education system.

Dr Kgafela-Mokoka said according to the Tertiary Education Statistics 2022 report published by Statistics Botswana in April 2024, 33 506 or 30.3 per cent of the 110 694 young people who graduated from form 5 between 2019 to 2021. She therefore said 77 188 youth or 69.7 per cent did not immediately progress into higher education between 2019 and 2021.

The government, she said, put in place multiple avenues through its various ministries to assist young people that exit Basic Education at Form 3 or Form 5.

She said Form 3 young leavers may continue their education through entry into Brigades, Botswana Open University for open and distance learning programmes or pursue certification of skills through the Construction Industry Trust Fund while Form 5 graduates may continue onto tertiary education or pursue employment.

Dr Kgafela-Mokoka further said all youth had access to support programmes provided by multiple government funded initiatives such as the National Internship Programme, Youth Development Fund, Botswana Innovation Fund, Local Enterprise Authority and other financial and social welfare programmes.

Bobirwa MP, Mr Taolo Lucas wanted to know the total number of young persons who dropped out of the terminal points of Form 3 and Form 5 between 2019 and 2024 and government intervention in respect of ensuring a secure future for them. ENDS