By Keolebogile Lebo Diswai
For decades, the way we think about school infrastructure has been relatively simple: government allocates money, contractors build brick-and-mortar classrooms, and the system moves on to the next project. But across much of the world, this traditional model is increasingly proving too slow, too expensive, and too limited to meet the growing demand for quality learning environments.
Botswana is no exception.
If we are serious about ensuring that every child has access to a safe and functional place to learn, we must rethink not only how we build schools, but also how we finance them. This is precisely the opportunity that the Education Infrastructure and Management Company (EIMC) presents.
At its core, EIMC represents a shift from a narrow, government-only funding model to a modern financing platform that brings together public resources, private capital, development partners, and philanthropic donors.
In other words, the future of education infrastructure will not be financed by a single actor; it will be financed by partnerships.
Moving Beyond the Government-Only Model
Traditionally, school infrastructure has relied almost entirely on public expenditure. While the government must remain the backbone of education investment, relying solely on national budgets limits how quickly infrastructure can be expanded or upgraded.
Across the world, blended financing approaches—bringing together public funding, development finance, and private investment—are increasingly used to close infrastructure gaps. Institutions such as the World Bank and regional development banks have supported governments in structuring these models so that public funding can unlock additional private capital.
The principle is simple: public money should crowd in more investment, not carry the burden alone.
Several countries have already demonstrated how innovative school financing models can work in practice.
In the United Kingdom, the government introduced the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), which allows governments to finance large public projects through private sector funding. Under this model, private companies cover the upfront cost of building infrastructure—such as schools, hospitals, and highways—and the government repays the investment over time through long-term service agreements.
The United Kingdom later expanded this approach through the Priority School Building Programme, which enabled private investors to finance and construct new school facilities while ensuring long-term maintenance standards.
In Canada, provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario have used public-private partnerships to build and maintain dozens of schools under long-term contracts through models such as Design-Build-Finance, which transfers construction risk to the private sector while maintaining public oversight.
Closer to home, Ghana is aggressively expanding school infrastructure through partnerships with development banks and private initiatives. The country is implementing a $200–$250 million facility supported by the World Bank to upgrade Category B and C senior high schools, significantly improving learning conditions nationwide. At the same time, an $80 million public-private partnership initiative known as SCALE aims to improve 16,000 schools and more than 14,700 kindergartens, demonstrating how partnerships can mobilise resources at a scale that public budgets alone would struggle to achieve.
These examples show that governments can remain firmly in control of education systems while still mobilising additional financing and expertise from external partners.
Addressing the Question of School Ownership
A common question that often arises when discussing new financing models is who owns the schools?
It is an important question, and the answer is straightforward: EIMC does not own schools.
All schools remain the property of the Government of Botswana, which is the shareholder. EIMC’s role is not to take ownership of public assets, but to act as a delivery and financing platform, mobilising resources, coordinating partnerships, and ensuring that infrastructure projects are implemented efficiently and sustainably.
In other words, the public education system remains fully public. EIMC simply introduces new ways of financing and delivering the infrastructure that supports it.
One School, Many Partners
One of the most powerful ideas behind EIMC is that a school does not need to be funded by a single institution. Instead, multiple partners can support different components of the same school. This model already exists in many countries.
For example, in several African education systems, UNICEF supports Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools, ensuring children have access to safe toilets and clean water. At the same time, initiatives such as Giga, a partnership between UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union, work with governments to expand internet connectivity and digital infrastructure in schools.
In practice, this means that a single school might have:
- Government-funded classrooms
- Donor-funded WASH infrastructure
- Connectivity supported by global digital partnerships
- Private sector support for equipment or renewable energy
This layered partnership approach ensures that schools become complete learning environments, rather than simply buildings.
EIMC plays exactly this coordinating role, bringing partners together within a single infrastructure plan.
Schools Are More Than Brick and Mortar
Another shift we must make is conceptual.
For too long, we have defined a “school” primarily by the permanence of its buildings. Brick walls and concrete structures have become the default image of education infrastructure. But in a country with vast distances and dispersed rural populations, this model does not always serve communities effectively.
In some areas, waiting years for a permanent structure means children learn in overcrowded or unsuitable environments in the meantime.
EIMC challenges this mindset by focusing on what truly matters: access to safe and functional learning spaces.
In some cases, this may mean using modular classrooms or portacabins, particularly in remote or rapidly growing communities. These structures can be deployed quickly, expanded when needed, and replaced with permanent buildings over time.
The goal is not architectural perfection. The goal is ensuring that children have a place to learn today, not years from now.
Turning School Infrastructure into an Investment Opportunity
Perhaps the most transformative element of the EIMC model is its ability to reposition school infrastructure as a structured investment opportunity rather than a perpetual public expense.
With the right governance structures, long-term maintenance agreements, and transparent financing frameworks, education infrastructure can attract investors who are increasingly interested in projects that deliver impactful social returns.
This includes pension funds, impact investors, development finance institutions, philanthropic foundations, high-net worth individuals and other social impact partners.
By creating predictable financing structures and coordinating multiple partners, EIMC unlocks capital that would otherwise remain outside the education sector.
A Platform for the Future
Ultimately, EIMC is not just about building classrooms. It is about building a new system for delivering and sustaining education infrastructure. A system where government leads but does not carry the burden alone. A system where donors, investors, and private companies collaborate rather than operate in silos. A system where innovation in financing is matched by innovation in infrastructure design.
Most importantly, it is a system that recognises a simple truth: the measure of education infrastructure is not the materials used to build it, but the opportunities it creates for children.
If we keep that principle at the centre of our thinking, then EIMC has the potential to do more than build schools. It can help build the future.
The real question, then, is not whether we can afford to rethink how we finance school infrastructure, it is whether we can afford not to. Every year that classrooms remain overcrowded, unfinished, or delayed is a year of lost opportunity for Botswana’s children.
If we are willing to embrace partnerships, innovation, and practical solutions that prioritize access over tradition, we can accelerate the delivery of learning environments across the country. EIMC offers a chance to do exactly that: to move faster, think smarter, and ensure that the promise of education is matched by the infrastructure that supports it.
About the Author
Keolebogile Lebo Diswai is the Executive Head – Stakeholder Management & Partnerships at Education Infrastructure and Management Company (EIMC). Her work focuses on building strategic partnerships, mobilising resources, and advancing collaborative solutions to strengthen education infrastructure in Botswana. For partnerships, investment, or donations supporting school infrastructure, she can be contacted at kdiswai@eimc.co.bw
