The Education System In Swaziland PDF Download

At the time of independence from Britain in 1968, education in Swaziland was characterized by poor quality, uneven distribution of schools, high dropout and repeater rates, serious teacher shortages, and inappropriate and highly academic curricula. This paper describes the status of present-day education in Swaziland in terms of the effect of government policies on the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. Because current trends in education are the cumulative result of policies followed since independence, the historical development of educational policy is traced in quinquennials that correspond to each of the four post-independence five-year National Development Plans. The policies of the first three five-year periods are followed by an appraisal of the achievements and failures of the period with regard to policy objectives and policy procedures. The final chapter on the Fourth Plan (1984-88) lists priority areas for continued improvement : a) improved teacher training; b) curriculum development; c) support to the sector from the Ministry of Education; and d) more systematic educational planning, monitoring and evaluation.