GABORONE, March 18, 2026 –The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has welcomed Ndaba Gaolathe, Vice President of Botswana, as Champion for Education, recognizing Botswana’s leadership in investing in education and human capital. The appointment also reflects Gaolathe’s longstanding personal commitment to education, shaped by years of volunteer teaching and mentorship programs, that began at university and continued throughout his professional and public life.

In this role, Gaolathe joins Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone and a growing coalition of global leaders, youth advocates, and education partners to drive greater investment and expand access to quality education—especially for the most vulnerable children.

Botswana has long been recognized for its strong national commitment to education and human capital development. Over several decades, sustained public investment and deliberate policy choices enabled the country to achieve near-universal access to primary education and strong progression into secondary schooling.

These achievements laid an important foundation for Botswana’s broader social and economic development. Recent challenges in achieving strong learning outcomes have led Botswana to refocus on education quality—strengthening learning, modernizing education delivery, and ensuring skills development keeps pace with a changing global economy. Botswana’s experience demonstrates both the importance of sustained investment in education and the commitment to continuously improve systems so they can better prepare future generations for opportunity and growth.

For Vice President Gaolathe, education is deeply personal. Since university, he has dedicated himself to volunteer teaching and mentorship in mathematics, life skills, science and general knowledge. Over many years, he has worked directly with young people in classrooms and community settings, helping students build confidence, strengthen problem-solving skills and expand their aspirations for the future. This long-standing personal commitment to mentoring and supporting learners continues to shape his vision for education as both a national priority and a powerful tool for individual empowerment.

“I am proud to join the Global Partnership for Education as a Champion, alongside leaders and young people around the world, to push for greater investment in education“ said Vice President Gaolathe. “Education investment today powers opportunity and prosperity tomorrow for Botswana, Africa, and beyond.”

Across Africa and the world, the education crisis remains stark: more than 270 million children are out of school, and millions more leave classrooms without the basic skills they need to thrive. Vice President Gaolathe joins global leaders backing GPE’s Multiply Possibility campaign, which aims to mobilize $5 billion and unlock $10 billion in innovative financing to strengthen education systems in over 90 countries, reaching nearly 750 million children.

For more information:

• Tamara Kummer, GPE Head of Communications @email Tel: +1 202 948 5395

About the Global Partnership for Education

GPE is a shared commitment to ending the world’s learning crisis. We mobilize partners and funds to support over 90 countries to transform their education systems so that every girl and boy can get the quality education they need to unlock their full potential and contribute to building a better world.

www.globalpartnership.org