Education and Perceptions of “Other”: Colonial Education of Batswana and formal Education of Indigenous San in Botswana

Abstract

The indigenous San of Botswana have undergone far-reaching socio-cultural and economic transformations in a negative and alienating environment that renders them a marginalized and subjugated people. They are also subjected to a formal education that demeans and devalues their indigenous epistemologies, whilst privileging those of the hegemonic Batswana (people of Botswana). This has caused cultural disorientation and negative self-perception amongst the San. Interestingly, not so long ago the hegemonic Batswana were also assimilated into alienating colonial epistemologies, whilst their traditional forms of education and livelihoods were submerged, devalued and alienated. This resulted in far-reaching disruptive transformations that reverberate through post-colonial society. Using the notion of “othering”, this paper juxtaposes the colonial education of the hegemonic Batswana with that of the indigenous San as the basis for the formulation of effective empowering and enabling policies, programmes and strategies to ameliorate the educational challenges facing the San.