INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES AND THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF PRIMARY-SCHOOL TEACHING IN BOTSWANA

This paper is based on a study which explores links between the intera ctional order of the Botswana primary classroom- frequently dominated by whole-class recitation routines-and the wider social order, which i ncludes highly centralised control of the education system. Drawing on ethnographic observation, I argue that the institutional structures a nd practices of schools and training colleges are important-but covert -contributors to teachers' understanding of their professional roles. Firstly I describe the internal social structuring of two primary scho ols, the social hierarchy among those who work and learn there, and th e cultural distance between the schools and their communities. Then I discuss the institutional practices of the primary teacher training co lleges their communities. Then I discuss the institutional practices o f the primary teacher training colleges in Botswana, arguing that thes e do not challenge concepts of teaching already internalised by traine es. Such concepts include the authority of teachers, the use of Englis h as a symbol of that authority, and the value placed on memorisation of knowledge for display.