1. National service programs and proposals
BOTSWANA
Mrs. Galaletsang Maakwe
Director, Tirelo Setshaba
Tirelo Setshaba (National Service) was recommended by a Presidential Commission in 1977 and was inaugurated as a pilot project in 1980. The recommendation came from the 1977 Education Commission that the late President Sir Seretse Khama had appointed to examine the educational system and to suggest improvements to it.
Objectives. The objectives of Tirelo Setshaba are as follows: "To give an educating, broadening, maturing experience to all 'O' level school leavers before they begin further education or employment; to expose them to the realities of developmental needs in remote rural areas (and to their problems of meeting them); to increase their self-confidence, self-discipline, initiative, sense of responsibility, ability to identify, analyze, and help solve problems, and their commitment to the development of their country; To provide educated manpower to help carry out development programs in rural areas, particularly in remote areas;
To encourage greater understanding of each other among people from different parts of the country."
Size. The 1980 pilot project was successful, and Tirelo Setshaba grew gradually with the expectation that 100 percent of "O"-level school leavers, totaling 1,500 persons, would be enrolled by 1987. Tirelo Setshaba was restructured in the mid- 1980s, however, and secondary school enrollment grew faster than had been anticipated. As a result, in 1991 Tirelo Setshaba enrolled 4,700 participants, or 75 percent of the "O"-level school leavers.
Eligibility. All "O"-level school leavers now are required to serve or to obtain an exemption certificate. Such certificates are given to persons with the lowest passes in the "O"-level examinations; the cutoff point is determined by the number of participants that can be accommodated by the budget for Tirelo Setshaba. This policy was introduced in 1985 because the great majority of those who had been volunteering for Tirelo Setshaba were those with low-level passes.
Conditions of Service. Tirelo Setshaba participants range in age from 16 to 20 years. They serve in the field for 12 months, with a two-week break during the year.
Service Activities. Most participants are assigned to governmental departments to oversee their service; a few are assigned to parastatal and nongovernmental organizations. Most serve in rural areas. Major areas of activity include education, health, agriculture, social and community development, wildlife management, tourism, rural industries, and local cooperatives. Some of the service activities expose participants to scientific and technological fields such as land surveying and telecommunications. This is part of a deliberate policy to stimulate career interests in fields most relevant to Botswana's developmental needs.
Links. Participants continue their education while in service, although the primary mode of education shifts from formal to experiential. Participants maintain daily journals which are reviewed several times during the service year by Tirelo Setshaba staff members. Maintaining these journals and discussing them with staff members helps to accomplish the objectives noted above. A military link was considered but rejected on the ground that it would be better for participants to develop self-discipline than to have military-style discipline imposed on them from the outside.
Special Features. Evaluations have shown that Tirelo Setshaba has had a marked impact on national integration. Participants have learned the languages of the communities where they served, and often return there during holidays and for weddings and funerals. It also has had a major impact on education: in the early years, participants took the places of untrained teachers and enabled them to go for training, and in recent years they have served as teachers' aides. |