Developing technology education in Botswana

With respect to technological order and socio-economic and environmental concerns, African educators are challenged to present pupils with a technology education that combines a broad technical spectrum of activities with a wide range of community settings. Botswana's leadership has identified Technical and Vocational Education and Design and Technology as strategic components of the nation's development. The paper seeks to outline the development of technical education in schools in Botswana to date and their impact on teacher education. It also assesses the creditability of our educational system in technology and looks to its future developments. A brief outline of the concept of Design and Technology as interpreted in Botswana is given; the role and relevance of technical and vocational education in Botswana and their implications for initial teacher education are narrated. The strengths and weaknesses of the present developments are discussed.