A Scoping Review of Education Policy in Botswana: An African Perspective

This scoping review provides a critical examination of recent literature on education policy in Botswana from an African-centred perspective, focusing on the period 2021–2025. It aims to map the thematic foci, methodological approaches, and conceptual framings within contemporary scholarship, identifying dominant narratives and potential silences. Adhering to the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley, the study employed a systematic search of academic databases and grey literature, with explicit inclusion criteria for post-2020 policy analysis, implementation, or critique. Findings reveal a concentrated scholarly engagement with digital transformation and technical and vocational education policies, predominantly framed by human capital development agendas. A critical synthesis, however, demonstrates a significant gap: a paucity of research grounded in indigenous knowledge systems or critically interrogating the localised impacts of globally circulated policy models. The review contends that while policy discourse is forward-looking, it remains predominantly tethered to exogenous frameworks, thereby marginalising endogenous African epistemologies in educational planning. This synthesis underscores the necessity for more rigorously contextual and reflexive research that centres African agency. The work concludes by highlighting implications for policymakers and scholars, advocating for policy frameworks that are not only responsive to global trends but are also authentically rooted in local realities and intellectual traditions.