The Right to Mother Tongue Education for the San People in Botswana Examining Botswana’s Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (2015–2020)

Abstract

This thesis set out to examine Botswana's Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP) for the period 2015-2020 through the specific lens of the right to Mother Tongue Education (MTE) for the Indigenous San people. Against a backdrop of documented educational disparities faced by the San, often linked to linguistic barriers within a system dominated by Setswana and English, this research investigated how a key national policy document addressed the principles of linguistic rights, equity, and inclusion for this marginalised community. Grounded in a qualitative research approach, the study employs document analysis to examine the right to mother tongue education for San in Botswana. The findings reveal a policy discourse that privileges English and Setswana while systematically excluding Indigenous languages, thereby undermining the cultural and educational rights of the San. The thesis argues that the absence of mother tongue instruction contributes to educational underachievement, social alienation, and the erosion of Indigenous identity among San learners. The study concludes by recommending the incorporation of mother tongue education into national policy and the creation of a supportive legal framework for implementing MTE, particularly in the foundational years of education. Keywords: San people, mother tongue education, Botswana, Indigenous rights, language planning, language policy, qualitative research, document analysis, ETSSP.

This thesis set out to examine Botswana's Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP) for the period 2015-2020 through the specific lens of the right to Mother Tongue Education (MTE) for the Indigenous San people. Against a backdrop of documented educational disparities faced by the San, often linked to linguistic barriers within a system dominated by Setswana and English, this research investigated how a key national policy document addressed the principles of linguistic rights, equity, and inclusion for this marginalised community. Grounded in a qualitative research approach, the study employs document analysis to examine the right to mother tongue education for San in Botswana. The findings reveal a policy discourse that privileges English and Setswana while systematically excluding Indigenous languages, thereby undermining the cultural and educational rights of the San. The thesis argues that the absence of mother tongue instruction contributes to educational underachievement, social alienation, and the erosion of Indigenous identity among San learners. The study concludes by recommending the incorporation of mother tongue education into national policy and the creation of a supportive legal framework for implementing MTE, particularly in the foundational years of education. Keywords: San people, mother tongue education, Botswana, Indigenous rights, language planning, language policy, qualitative research, document analysis, ETSSP.