BQA BRIEFS THE MEDIA ON TRANSITION

 The Botswana Qualifications Authority  Chief Executive Officer Mr Abel Modungwa and his Management Team on the 24 January 2017 hosted Media to update them on transition to the new BQA Regulations and to brief them on the objectives/ value add of the reforms   

The reforms, it was explained, are to develop a common quality assurance platform:

·         to avoid duplication

·          address fragmentation

·          improve coordination

·         ensure improved standards of teaching and learning

BQA regulates all public and private Education and Training Providers across the 3 Education sub-systems; General Education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and Higher Education.

Another new key feature of the new system, discussed, was the provision for and maintenance of the National Credit and Qualifications Framework. The Framework will

·         improve articulation and progression

·         ensure learner mobility

·         ensure portable qualifications

·         provide for international  comparability,

·         define clear level descriptors

·         ensure credit accumulation and transfer

BQA emphasised and acknowledged the need to engage with stakeholders and said that several consultations were done during the development of Botswana Qualifications Act Regulations. Other consultative meetings were done after approval of those Regulations to build stakeholder capacity to implement them.

“BQA has so far built capacity of all Colleges of Education (about 400 lecturers) and all Regional Education Officers, Curriculum Development and Evaluation employees (CD&E).   BQA has also covered all Institutes of Health Sciences and Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST). There is a plan to conduct several stakeholder consultative meetings across the country,” said Mr Abel Modungwa, BQA CEO  

BQA will embark on a nationwide tour to address Education and Training Providers, students, Local Government officials, Dikgosi, area Members of Parliament, District Commissioners, Village Development Committees and other stakeholders

In addition, a Transition guide has been developed and was shared with Education and Training Providers. BQA acknowledges that the change is demanding and solicits support from stakeholders.  “BQA does not rule out possibility of challenges and commits to giving them due attention they deserve in time “said Modungwa.

The briefing was well attended by the media and the questions, answers and discussion were appreciated. BQA invited the media to continually engage the Authority.  Also invited were HRDC, National Student Representative Council, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology PRO and the Botswana National Student Union.