Thinking in My Language to the Official Languages: What a Challenge!! A Case of the Basarwa (Bushmen/San) Children in Botswana

Abstract

The Botswana education system bases its philosophy on education for all using English and Setswana as the official languages for learning and teaching in schools despite the diversity of the society. Botswana has 8 Setswana ethnic groups with Setswana as their mother tongue and 26 minority languages. Some of them speak Sengologa/ Sekgalagadi; a language of their so-called masters. The Basarwa children find it difficult to converse in Setswana but are usually taught by teachers from the Setswana ethnic groups or those fortunate to be articulate in Setswana and English. When these teachers instruct Basarwa children whose languages are mutually unintelligible, it becomes a great challenge. Learning is burdensome; frustrating to both the teachers, parents of the Basarwa children; and the children themselves. The teaching of children in their mother tongue cannot be overemphasized. Education becomes a foreign concept from their indigenous culture leading to a higher risk of dropping out of school, a feeling of discrimination by the teachers who cannot communicate in their language, or understand their culture.