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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, opportunities  

BACKGROUND

Despite the global ongoing expansion of schooling, research shows that schooling does not always result in learning. Many children, even if in school, are not learning fundamental skills required for proficiency. As a result, many children are experiencing learning poverty – 53% of children in developing countries and 80% of those in poor countries.i The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the learning crisis in Botswana and across the globe.

Botswana, while not currently experiencing a humanitarian crisis, faces challenges in ensuring equitable access to education, particularly in remote or underserved areas. Net enrolment at the primary level stands at 97 per cent. Out of all children who entered Standard 1 in 2007, 84 per cent completed seven years of primary schooling, but only 78 per cent completed the desired 10 years of basic education.ii One third of children lack basic numeracy and literacy skills after four to five years of primary education due to poor teacher competencies in effective pedagogy, high teacher-pupil ratios, the lack of high-quality teaching materials and limited implementation of the mother-tongue policy.

The net enrolment rate in secondary education (for children aged 13–17 years) is 71 per cent. The transition rate from junior secondary to senior secondary school is 67 per cent, and about half of primary school entrants’ complete secondary education. School dropout rates at secondary level are significantly higher in the remote western regions, and for children from poor households, girls in general, and pregnant adolescent girls.

To close the learning poverty gap, a new product called the Learning Passport was designed. The Learning Passport is an innovative digital learning platform developed by UNICEF and Microsoft to enable high quality, flexible learning. While there are various Learning Management Systems (LMS) in Botswana, the Learning Passport is specifically adapted to fit the country’s educational needs. As a national partner, the then Ministry of Education and Skills Development now Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education facilitated and ensured the integration of the Learning Passport into the country's curriculum and education system. UNICEF played a key role in developing and promoting the Learning Passport within Botswana, highlighting the platform's potential to ensure every child has access to quality education. As a technology partner, Microsoft provided the cloud-based infrastructure and tools to host the Learning Passport, making it accessible from anywhere.

The platform was designed to ensure continuity of education for children affected by crises and disruptions. It is not meant to replace the classroom education experience, but to rather be a supplementary tool which supports both formal and non-formal education programs and offers a range of interactive learning materials, including lessons, quizzes, revision materials and educational games, accessible via mobile devices and computers.

The platform aims to provide quality education to children, particularly in contexts where access to traditional schooling is limited or disrupted. All 34 Senior Secondary Schools in Botswana are connected to the internet through the SmartBots Village Connectivity Project. UNICEF-ITU’s Giga school connectivity initiative is supporting SmartBots in this endeavour. Therefore, using this top-down approach, the Botswana Learning Passport was officially launched on August 21st, 2024, driven by a need to provide inclusive and accessible digital education solutions. MESD and UNICEF Botswana collaborated on the launch. Since the launch, we have seen approximately 3,000 total users on the platform.

About Giga

Giga is a joint initiative of UNICEF and ITU to connect every school in the world to the Internet by 2030. Working with corporate and non-profit partners, Giga maps schools’ Internet access in real time, creates models for innovative financing, and supports governments contracting for connectivity. It is part of ITU’s Partner2 Connect Coalition, UNICEF’s Reimagine Education initiative, and the UN Secretary General’s Common Agenda and Roadmap for Roadmap for Digital Cooperation. Follow Giga on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives.

About ITU

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations.

The Giga workplan covers the below important components: Outcome 2: By 2026, adolescents and young people (10–24 years), particularly the most vulnerable, are more empowered and engaged to access quality and gender-responsive HIV, health, nutrition, education, and child protection services.

Output 2.2: The government has enhanced capacity to plan, implement and monitor equitable learning solutions, including alternative pathways, digital learning, and skills development.

Giga AWP Activity 5.1: Learning Passport rolled out in all public schools.

Visit this link for more information on working with UNICEF Botswana

How can you make a difference? 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Enter disciplines:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Education, Educational Technology, Information Technology, Data Science, or a related field.
  A minimum of 3 years’ experience in digital content development, e-learning platforms, or educational program management.
  Demonstrated experience in deploying and managing digital learning solutions, particularly in diverse educational settings.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in digital content development, e-learning platforms, or educational program management.
•  
  Demonstrated experience in deploying and managing digital learning solutions, particularly in diverse educational settings.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset. 

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.