Editing Botswana (section)

==Education==
{{See also|Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology (Botswana)}}
{{Main|Education in Botswana}}
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Botswana has made educational progress since independence in 1966 when there were only 22 graduates in the country{{Sfn|Dionne|2016}} and only a very small percentage of the population attended secondary school. Botswana increased its adult literacy rate from 69% in 1991 to 83% in 2008.<ref name="ref">{{cite web |url=http://stats.uis.unesco.org |title=UNESCO Institute for Statistics |publisher=Stats.uis.unesco.org |access-date=21 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725065836/http://stats.uis.unesco.org/ |archive-date=25 July 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Among sub-Saharan African countries, Botswana has one of the highest literacy rates.<ref name="cia.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/literacy/|title=Literacy – The World Factbook|website=www.cia.gov|access-date=30 March 2022|archive-date=1 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401014237/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/literacy/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2024, 88.5% of the population aged 15 and over could read and write and were respectively literate.<ref name="cia.gov"/>

The [[Botswana Ministry of Education]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moe.gov.bw/index.php?id=10 |title=Ministry of Education and Skills Development: Home |publisher=Moe.gov.bw |date=27 July 2011 |access-date=21 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804205657/http://www.moe.gov.bw/index.php?id=10 |archive-date=4 August 2012 }}</ref> is working to establish libraries in primary schools in partnership with the [[African Library Project]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.africanlibraryproject.org/about-us/our-partners/139-library-partner-botswana-ministry-of-education |title=Library Partner – Botswana Ministry of Education |publisher=Africanlibraryproject.org |access-date=21 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903102928/http://www.africanlibraryproject.org/about-us/our-partners/139-library-partner-botswana-ministry-of-education |archive-date=3 September 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Government of Botswana]] hopes that investing a large part of national income in education will make the country less dependent on diamonds for its economic survival, and less dependent on expatriates for its skilled workers.<ref name="UNEVOC">[http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase1.php?ct=BWA UNESCO-UNEVOC's Botswana profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416191627/http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase1.php?ct=BWA |date=16 April 2014 }}. Unevoc.unesco.org. Retrieved on 27 October 2016.</ref> NPVET (National Policy on Vocational Education and Training) introduced policies in favour of vocational education.<ref name="UNEVOC"/> Botswana invests 21% of its government spending in education.<ref name="ref" />

In January 2006, Botswana announced the reintroduction of school fees after two decades of free state education,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4601360.stm Botswana brings back school fees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060203014610/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4601360.stm |date=3 February 2006 }}. BBC News (11 January 2006).</ref> though the government still provides full scholarships with living expenses to any Botswana citizen in university, either at the [[University of Botswana]] or, if the student wishes to pursue an education in any field not offered locally, they are provided with a full scholarship to study abroad.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scholarship Funding to Study in Botswana |url=https://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/country/botswana.htm |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.collegescholarships.org |archive-date=1 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240601060607/https://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/country/botswana.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Science and technology===
{{main|Science and technology in Botswana}}
[[File:Lady Physicist.jpg|thumb|Physicist in a lab at [[Botswana International University of Science and Technology]]]]
In 2015, Botswana planned to use science and technology to diversify its economy and thereby reduce its dependence on diamond mining.<ref name=":0" /> Botswana published its updated ''National Policy on Research, Science and Technology'' in 2011, within a UNESCO project sponsored by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID). This policy was formulated in strategic documents that include Botswana's ''Tenth National Development Plan'' for 2016 and ''Vision 2016''.<ref name=":0" /> The ''National Policy on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation'' (2011) sets the target of raising gross domestic expenditure on [[research and development]] (R&D) from 0.26% of GDP in 2012 to over 2% of GDP by 2016. This target can only be reached within the specified time frame by raising public spending on R&D.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002354/235406e.pdf|title=UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030|publisher=UNESCO|year=2015|isbn=978-92-3-100129-1|location=Paris|pages=546–547|access-date=20 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322210919/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002354/235406e.pdf|archive-date=22 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Botswana counts one of the highest researcher densities in sub-Saharan Africa: 344 per million inhabitants (in head counts), compared to an average of 91 per million inhabitants for the subcontinent in 2013.<ref name=":0" /> Botswana was ranked 87th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite book |author=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]] |year=2024 |title=Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=www.wipo.int |page=18 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.50062 |isbn=978-92-805-3681-2}}</ref>

In 2009, Botswana-based company Deaftronics launched a solar-powered hearing aid after six years of prototype development. Since then, Deaftronics has sold over 10,000 of the hearing aids. Priced at $200 per unit, each hearing aid includes four [[rechargeable batteries]] (lasting up to three years) and a [[solar charger]] for them. The product is inexpensive compared to many similar devices, which can start at around $600.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://qz.com/africa/443630/botswanas-hearing-aid-pioneers-are-betting-on-solar-power-to-go-global/ |title=Botswana's hearing aid pioneers are betting on solar power to go global |website=Quartz Africa |date=6 July 2015 |access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109205421/https://qz.com/africa/443630/botswanas-hearing-aid-pioneers-are-betting-on-solar-power-to-go-global/ |archive-date=9 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.deutschland.de/en/solar-powered-hearing-aids-botswana |title=Solar Powered Hearing Aids, Botswana |website=deutschland.de |date=2 June 2017 |access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109205130/https://www.deutschland.de/en/solar-powered-hearing-aids-botswana |archive-date=9 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, Botswana's Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) unveiled Musi cattle, designed to optimise beef production. As a hybrid of the [[Tswana cattle|Tswana]], [[Bonsmara]], [[American Brahman|Brahman]], [[Tuli cattle|Tuli]] and [[Simmental cattle|Simmental]] breeds,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dept pleads for marketing of Musi|url=https://dailynews.gov.bw/news-detail/21751|last=Kgathileng|first=Tebogo|date=2015-07-27|website=Botswana Daily News|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200520115011/http://www.dailynews.gov.bw/news-details.php?nid=21751|archive-date=2020-05-20|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref> it is hoped that the composite will lead to increased beef production.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=166&dir=2011%2FSeptember%2FThursday8%2F |title=Hardy breed named Musi at unveiling |website=mmegi.bw |date=6 August 2007 |access-date=16 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110013727/http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=166&dir=2011/September/Thursday8/ |archive-date=10 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, the Botswana Institute of Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) developed a rapid testing kit for [[foot-and-mouth disease]] in collaboration with the Botswana Vaccine Institute and [[Canadian Food Inspection Agency]]. The kit developed in Botswana allows for on-site diagnosis.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 December 2016 |title=BITRI Develops Rapid Foot and Mouth Disease Test Kit |url=http://news.rapidmicromethods.com/2016/12/bitri-develops-rapid-foot-and-mouth.html?m=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110013809/http://news.rapidmicromethods.com/2016/12/bitri-develops-rapid-foot-and-mouth.html?m=1 |archive-date=10 January 2019 |access-date=9 January 2019 |website=rapidmicromethods.com}}</ref>

The [[Square Kilometre Array]] (SKA) ([[MeerKAT]]) consists of thousands of dishes and antennas spread over large distances linked together to form one giant telescope. Additional dishes will be located in eight other African countries, Botswana among them. Botswana was selected to participate because of its ideal location in the southern hemisphere and environment, which could enable easier data collection from the universe. The Botswana government has built the SKA precursor telescope at Kgale View, which is the African Very Long Base Line Interferometry Network (AVN). It sent students on astronomy scholarships.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailynews.gov.bw/news-detail/10829|title=Botswana takes part in revolutionary mission|access-date=26 June 2020|archive-date=24 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124005832/http://www.dailynews.gov.bw/mobile/news-details.php?nid=10829&flag=|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:BeeSat RTM 500x500.JPG|thumb|Cubesat miniaturized satellite]]
Botswana launched its own three-year programme to build and launch a Micro Satellite ([[CubeSat]]) Botswana Satellite Technology (Sat-1 Project) in Gaborone on 18 December 2020. [[Botswana International University of Science and Technology]] (BIUST) will lead satellite development, with technical support from the [[University of Oulu]] in Finland and [[Loon LLC|Loon]], a giant leap forward in the realisation of Botswana's ambition to become a technologically driven economy. The satellite, which will be used for earth observation, will generate data for farm planning and real-time [[virtual tour]]ism. It can also help predict and forecast harvest time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dailynews.gov.bw/news-detail/60276 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415234043/http://www.dailynews.gov.bw/news-details.php?nid=60276 |archive-date=15 April 2021 |title=Satellite technology development giant leap |work=Botswana Daily News |date=20 December 2020 |access-date=2 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://africanews.space/botswana-launches-national-space-program/|title=Botswana Launches National Space Program|first=Space in|last=Africa|date=23 December 2020|access-date=12 January 2021|archive-date=2 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102034103/https://africanews.space/botswana-launches-national-space-program/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, for the [[IT sector]], Almaz opened a first-of-its-kind computer assembly company.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.itwebafrica.com/more-countries/botswana/237043-botswana-opens-first-tech-assembly-plant |title=Botswana opens first tech assembly plant |website=itwebafrica.com |access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110013902/http://www.itwebafrica.com/more-countries/botswana/237043-botswana-opens-first-tech-assembly-plant |archive-date=10 January 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thepatriot.co.bw/business/item/3389-almaz-enters-botswana-ict-sector.html |title=Almaz enters Botswana ICT sector |work=The Patriot |access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109205218/http://www.thepatriot.co.bw/business/item/3389-almaz-enters-botswana-ict-sector.html |archive-date=9 January 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Ditec, a Botswana company, also customises, designs and manufactures [[mobile phone]]s. Ditec specialises in customising [[Microsoft]]-powered devices.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.botswanayouth.com/youth-company-shines-with-their-locally-made-ditec-pioneer-phone/ |title=Youth Company Shines With Their Locally Made Ditec Pioneer Phone |website=botswanayouth.com |date=5 August 2016 |access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109205346/http://www.botswanayouth.com/youth-company-shines-with-their-locally-made-ditec-pioneer-phone/ |archive-date=9 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 19 November 2021, scientists at the Botswana Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory (BHHRL) first discovered the [[COVID-19]] Omicron variant, subsequently designated B.1.1.529, and then named "Omicron", becoming the first country in the world to discover the variant. Since early 2021, they have genome-sequenced some 2,300 positive SARS-CoV-2 virus samples. According to Dr. Gaseitsiwe, Botswana's genome sequence submissions to GISAID are among the highest in the African region on a per capita basis, on a par with its well-resourced neighbour South Africa. Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership (BHP) was built in 2003, two years after the umbrella organisation opened the BHHRL, its purpose-built HIV research lab which was one of the first on the continent.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/12/14/inside-the-botswana-lab-that-discovered-omicron |title=Inside the Botswana lab that discovered Omicron |work=Aljazeera |last=Flood |first=Zoe |date=14 December 2021 |access-date=9 January 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214111713/http://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/12/14/inside-the-botswana-lab-that-discovered-omicron |archive-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>