Africa-Press – Botswana. The Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) will begin issuing its own Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) from the 2025 examination cycle, ending its long-standing joint certification arrangement with Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUPA). The move signals a shift toward greater local control over secondary education assessments.
Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Ms Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, informed Parliament on December 4 that the decision follows a BEC board resolution and cabinet approval. The change responds to rising costs of the CUPA partnership and reflects BEC’s strengthened internal capacity to manage certification independently.
Under the new three-year arrangement, BEC will retain accreditation without external certification. This adjustment will reduce annual costs from P27 million to P10 million while maintaining quality assurance standards. The strategy ensures the integrity of the BGCSE remains high while improving cost efficiency for the education system.
The design of the new BGCSE certificate has already received approval. Plans are underway to secure a local external quality assurance partner starting in 2028. BEC will also continue participating in regional assessment standards through the Southern Africa Association for Educational Assessment, aligning Botswana’s secondary education with regional benchmarks.
The move represents a milestone in Botswana’s education system. It strengthens national ownership of assessments, ensures sustainability, and allows BEC to build expertise in quality assurance and certification. Schools, teachers, and students can expect continuity in examination standards while benefiting from a more cost-effective and locally managed system.
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