Why is a gradual transition to Botswana’s languages in higher education necessary? How can it be achieved?

Abstract

Where other authors have argued for the need for using indigenous languages in education in Botswana on human rights or efficiency grounds, this article argues for this need for economic reasons, in line with the country’s vision for 2036. Further increases in enrolment in higher education will mean that the country’s education system is stretched beyond its capacities, as shown by benchmarking Botswana’s educational system against that of Estonia’s. A transition towards indigenous languages is practical by using the proposed concepts of discerned and designed languages. However, it should be based on five key principles, which are introduced in the article. Based on a new discussion of ease and difficulty of language learning, these principles are applied to the Botswanan situation. The article concludes that Setswana could be developed as a medium of instruction for the great majority of people in Botswana, but that a special position is justified for the Khoisan languages. The article ends by suggesting a number of concrete steps that should be taken over the coming years in order to make such a transition a practical possibility.