Contextual Factors Obstructing the Effective Implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy in the Lesotho Education Sector

Abstract

Policy implementation is the most crucial phase in the policy-making cycle. If not implemented, policy aims and objectives cannot be achieved, and the quality of education can subsequently not be improved. The Lesotho Ministry of Education (MoET) adopted the Curriculum and Assessment Policy, 2009 (CAP 2009) to localise its curriculum. With this curriculum, MoET intends to make education relevant to Basotho and improve equal and equitable access to quality education for all Basotho. However, a persistent policy gap caused by failing to implement the CAP 2009 effectively renders this curriculum ineffective. MoET now plans to replace CAP 2009 with a new curriculum called the Lesotho Basic Education Curriculum Policy (LBECP), which is intended to close the implementation gap witnessed with the CAP 2009 and counter the contextual factors that led to the failure of CAP 2009. In this article, we argue that the Lesotho education policy context obstructed the implementation of CAP 2009. We, therefore, explore certain contextual factors that negatively impacted the effective implementation of CAP 2009. We argue that the persistent policy gap regarding the implementation of CAP 2009 results from a policy process that is not sensitive to or does not reflect the unique Lesotho education context. Findings suggest that poverty, rurality, HIV/AIDS, corruption, and political instability severely hampered the effective implementation of the CAP 2009. Following this, specific recommendations are made to improve and ensure effective curriculum implementation within the Lesotho education sector.