Implementation of Special Education Programmes at Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana: Challenges and Opportunities for Curriculum Improvement

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-705-7_15How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Inclusive Education; Special Education Programmes; Curriculum Adaptation; Universal Design for Learning; Teacher Training; Botswana

Abstract

This study evaluated the implementation of special education programmes in junior secondary schools in Botswana’s Kweneng region. Despite strong policy frameworks like the Inclusive Education Policy (2011), a significant gap exists between policy intent and classroom practice.

A qualitatively dominant mixed-methods approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with administrators, teachers, students with special needs, and their parents across six schools (N=54). Findings revealed that implementation is severely hindered by systemic barriers: a critical lack of trained special education personnel, with programmes often coordinated by guidance counsellors without specialist training; severe shortages of assistive technologies and adapted learning resources; and protracted delays in psychological assessments. Furthermore, curriculum delivery remains rigid, with minimal differentiation or adaptation to diverse learner needs. However, the study also identified key opportunities for curriculum improvement. These include the integration of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to foster flexible pedagogy, strategic investment in continuous professional development for teachers and administrators, and the formal establishment of dedicated special education units within schools.

The study concludes that special education programmes are central to Botswana’s inclusive education agenda but require targeted systemic reforms, robust resource allocation, and a shift from policy rhetoric to actionable, supported practices to realize equitable and quality education for all learners.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Mosadithebe Bonno Tsimako
AU  - Jane Iloanya
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/13
TI  - Implementation of Special Education Programmes at Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana: Challenges and Opportunities for Curriculum Improvement
BT  - Proceedings of the FIREtalk Conference - Research on FIRE! (research-on-fire 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 216
EP  - 226
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-705-7_15
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-705-7_15
ID  - Tsimako2026
ER  -