THE CAPA PROJECT HANDED TO THE MINISTRY OF BASIC EDUCATION (MOBE)

The Creative Industries Sector is one of the 12 Sectors identified by the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC). The Committee’s role is to serve as a forum for constant dialogue and consensus building among stakeholders in the sector on all matters relating to Human Resource Development starting from Pre- Primary education through to lifelong learning.

The Creative Industries Sector HRD Committee identified that Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) subjects were not taught effectively in schools in Botswana. CAPA subjects are taught to learners from Standard Three to Six. The subjects include Visual Art, Music, Drama, Dance, Physical Education and Home Economics. Committee members highlighted the need for the CAPA teachers to be capacitated to enable them to teach CAPA efficiently.

The Creative Industries Committee members made a decision to conduct pilot training from the 27^th  - 31^st  March 2017 to 10 teachers from 10 Primary Schools in the Chobe Region namely Kasane, Plateau, Kazungula, Mabele, Satau,Parakarungu, Lesoma, Kavimba, Kachikau and Pandamatenga. Also in attendance were some practical subjects’ teachers from the Chobe Community Junior Secondary School (CJSS), in order for them to also appreciate the linkage between the CAPA and other subjects.

Post the training that was conducted, a team from HRDC visited the 10 schools that participated in the pilot training to assess its impact as well as to analyse CAPA challenges and to assess how the pupils rate the CAPA subject after their Teachers induction. The general observation is that the Teachers have begun to appreciate CAPA more and are able to make it practical hence more comprehendible to learners.

The Creative Industries Sector Committee proposed found it necessary for the CAPA Project be handed over to the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) in order for them to continue with the project either by making further improvements to address the challenges raised during both the training and the monitoring visit and also note the recommendations made in the reports of the two activities or cascading it to other Regions.

Speaking during the handover ceremony that was held on the 22^nd August 2018, Mr Meshack Tafa, Chief Operations Officer, HRDC said ‘‘The Committee and HRDC are of the view that for the creative industries to develop and thrive in Botswana, a vibrant visual and performing arts culture must be nurtured both through practice and the engagement of the broader community’’.

Arts practitioners need room for experimentation and the ability to innovate and push the boundaries in order to be competitive. In the global workforce, individuals with creative and critical thinking skills including the ability to be flexible and adaptable are highly sought especially where information and communication technologies are used.

In his closing remarks at the handing over ceremony, Mr Phillip Segola, Chairperson of the Creative Industries Sector HRD Committee concluded that ‘‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank in particular the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) for allowing us through the then Ministry of Education and Skills Development, to carry out this project and agreeing to its hand over that we have just witnessed. I also would like to thank the Chobe Regional Office for having agreed to be used as a pilot and the support that they rendered to the team during both the training and the Monitoring visits undertaken by the team’’