Clement Didimalang

Resume

Personal Details

Name:Mr. DIDIMALANG, Clement

Nationality: Motswana

Date of Birth:27 July 1963

Marital Status:Married

Postal Address:P O Box 53789

Broad Hurst

Gaborone

Phone:+267 76488394; +267 75339197 (Mobile);

e-mail: didimalang.clement20@gmail.com

Personal Statement:

As a highly passionate, motivated and result oriented education and management practitioner, I have a track record of adding value to organizations I have worked for. This value addition is usually informed by quick and accurate situational analyses of my assigned role in relation to roles of other sections of the organization as well as for the whole organization followed by leadership for improvement. I am looking to secure a position in an education, management and training setting where I can add strategic value by engaging in the quality education discourse.

Education and Training

Year

Institution

Area of Study

Qualification

2017

University of Nicosia, Cyprus

Business Administration

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

2009

National University of Educational Planning and Administration, India

Educational Planning and Administration

International Diploma in Educational Planning and Administration IDEPA

1997

University of Plymouth, UK

Management of Special Education Provision

Certificate of Advanced Professional Studies CAPS

1995

University of Nevada, USA

Curriculum and Instruction-Special Education Specialism, K-12

Master of Education

1992

University of Plymouth, UK

Mathematics, Special Education

Bachelor of Education Hons. (2i)

1987

University of Botswana, Botswana

Mathematics, Physics

Diploma in Secondary Education, DSE (Credit)

Details of Training at Different Levels

Year

Institution

Area of Study

Qualification

2009

National University of Education Planning and Administration

Educational Planning and Administration

International Diploma in Educational Planning and Administration

Program summary:

IDEPA aimed at promoting a spirit of international cooperation and understanding among the countries of the developing world through the exchange of innovations and experiences gained in the field of Educational Planning and Management in different national settings, in a comparative perspective. The program intended to help participants of about twenty five countries from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Pacific regions to make indigenous the structures and processes of educational planning (micro and macro levels) on one hand and educational supervision, administration, management and leadership on the other. The main strength of the program was the exchange of ideas in seminars on subject matters and issues important to the field of human resource development.

Year

Institution

Area of Study

Qualification

1997

University of Plymouth

Management and Special Educational Needs

Certificate in Advanced Professional Studies

Program summary:

With increased need to provide equal opportunities for all learners in mainstream schools, this course aimed at providing participants with the tools for understanding challenges that came with the wish to integrate. A careful analysis of a selection of national education policies including for the host country United Kingdom, Botswana, and a few other countries from the developed and developing countries was used as a starting point for an assessment of how the nations were performing in terms of provision of Education to All. The course then covered a range of possibilities for different nations consistent with their local scenarios. A lot of practical experience was provided through the course for participants to learn how to plan for effective provision at regional, national, local and individual school levels for inclusion.

Year

Institution

Area of Study

Qualification

1995

University of Nevada

Curriculum and Instruction Special Education Specialism

Master of Education

Program Summary (Only courses specific to special education included):

The program aimed at preparing special education teachers to effectively work with learners who have mild to severe disabilities from kindergarten to grade twelve. Courses studied included the following: Multicultural Concerns in Education; Research Applications in Education; Assessment for Special Education Teachers; Special Education Curriculum General Methods; Serving Individuals with Disabilities and their Families; Behaviour Management in Techniques for Students with Disabilities; Special Education Curriculum Approaches for Adolescents; Assessment and Instruction K-12 Maths for Struggling Students; Collaboration and Consultation in Special Education; Trends and Issues in Special Education; Supervision and Field Work with Exceptional Children

Year

Institution

Area of Study

Qualification (IDEPA)

1992

University of Plymouth

Special Education, Mathematics

Bachelor of Education (Hons 2i)

Program Summary (Only special education component)

This was an introductory program for special education teachers who already had a general teaching qualification. Modules included Policy on Education; Disabling Conditions Visual, Hearing, Intellectual, and Physical Impairments; Assessment for Special Education Teachers; Specific Learning Disabilities; Teaching Children with Disabilities focus on children who are blind; Braille Reading and Writing; Mobility Training; Microcomputers in teaching learners with visual impairments; Assistive Technologies for learners with Disabilities; Curriculum Design for Special Education Teachers; Trends in Special Education.

Professional Training

1. Life Line Botswana- Certificate in

Personal Growth and life Skills Training

Counseling

2. Teacher Training and Development-Ministry of Education, Botswana / VVOB (Belgian Government) Education Management Training Project-Certificate in

Educational management

Management of HIV / AIDS impact in institutions

Effective teaming

Strategic Planning

3. RIPA International, UK- Certificate in

Management of the Training and Development function.

4. Roehampton University, UK-Training of Trainers in

Inclusive Education

Work Experience

Period

Institution

Position Held

February 2016 to 2017

New Era College of Art, Science and Technology

Acting Executive Director

October 2012 February 2016

New Era College of Art, Science and Technology

Director, Academic Affairs / Principal

2011

ABM University College

Manager Academic Affairs

2011

University of Botswana

Part Time Assistant lecturer

2007 - 2009

Tlokweng College of Education

Principal

2004 2006

Tlokweng College of Education

Deputy Principal (Academic)

2001 2003

Molepolole College of Education Distance Education program

Tutor; Mathematics, Special Needs Education, Guidance and Counseling

1999 2003

Molepolole College of Education

Head of Department Special Education

1995 1998

University of Botswana

Part-time Lecturer, Foundations of Education , Special Education

1994

Molepolole College of Education

Lecturer, Foundations of Education

1987 1993

Linchwe II CJSS

Mathematics Teacher and Teacher of Mathematics for children with visual impairment

First Appointed: May 1987Early retirement December 2009

Functions in Different Positions Held

Acting Executive Director: In this position, my role has been that of overall oversight of the different Directorates including Academic, Operations, Human Resources Management, Marketing, Registry, Library and Information Services. Working hand-in-hand with the Managing Director and President of the college, I have coordinated overall strategic direction for the college. I have been the direct liaison between the college Senate and the Council. I have served as secretary for the Council. In this position, I have also served as Vice President for the Botswana Association for Private Tertiary Education Providers (BAPTEP) of which New Era College is a member and Vice Chairperson for the Education Sector Level Consultancy Committee of Business Botswana.

Principal of New Era College: Here my role was that of academic leader. The principal was in charge of the overall academic function of the institution. The college is fairly new, therefore the principal had to take the leading role in starting from scratch a number of necessary academic policies to guide in further development of the college. The Principal had to guide the College Council on matters of Education Policy in development or adoption of new curricular, physical infrastructure, as well as in the recruitment of both staff and students. The principal was the liaison person between the college management and students, sponsors, industry, as well as government especially tertiary education sector regulators.

As Part Time Assistant Lecturer at the University of Botswana I taught two undergraduate courses FS 104 : Introduction to Procedures for Assessment of Disability; and GEC 441: Introduction to Exceptionalities. In addition to planning and delivering the courses, I set, administered and marked coursework and final examinations. I also provided individual support to students who needed it.

As Principal of Tlokweng College of Education,

I was CEO and strategic leader for the college with the following duties and responsibilities

Guiding the development and implementation of the overall strategic direction for the college through among others;

Self-study exercises that aimed at identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the college and to strategically position the college to achieve its mandate of providing quality teacher education and training to primary school teachers.

Development of vision and mission statements for the college

Establishment of the organizational ethos through continuous definition and negotiation (with various stakeholders) of values and principles that should guide the operations of the college

Identifying and involving various stakeholders in college activities

Leading the institution in the development, dissemination and evaluation of a teacher training curriculum to prepare primary school teachers who are ready to work, can teach a diversity of subjects as well as provide for the diverse needs of their learners in inclusive environments

Preparing Financial Estimates for the college and

Managing the budget allocated by government to address the mandate of the institution

Preparing Human Resource estimates and

Deployment of both academic and non-academic staff according to the strategic direction developed jointly by staff and students of the college

Development of policies specifying operational processes and procedures for the institution

Setting standards for service delivery and appraising staff on the basis of the standards

Development, Implementation and Review of academic regulations for the Diploma in Primary Education program

Representing the college in forums such as principals meetings, workshops organized by Tertiary Education Council, and those organized by the University of Botswana for Affiliated Institutions

Serving as public Relations Officer for the college

I was also a member of the following high level bodies as the elected representative for all Colleges of Education in Botswana:

The Unified Board of Affiliated Institution

The National Council on Teacher Education

The National Curriculum Coordinating Committee

The Advisory Board

The Tertiary Education Policy Implementation Team

The South East District Council

The Department of Teacher Training and Development Performance Improvement Committee

Deputy Principal

As Deputy Principal (Academic),

my duties and responsibilities included planning, directing and coordinating all academic functions including supervision of academic Heads of Department to ensure quality in design, delivery and assessment of the academic program ensuring;

relevance of curriculum to socio-economic needs of the country

adherence to curricular blue prints in writing of subject syllabi

adherence to approved syllabi in the setting of assignments, tests and examinations

timely preparation of course outlines, tests, assignments and examinations

validity of all assessment instruments used for the Diploma in Primary Education

quality in the setting out of standards, processes and procedures regulating entry to the diploma program, progression through the diploma, certification, as well as graduation from the program

accurate entry of assessment grades and production of results transcripts

promotion quality and fairness in the admissions and assessment process

provision of necessary in-service training for staff to help them acquire new skills and sharpen existing ones

professional conduct of all involved in the management of the diploma program and supporting services

internal and external moderation of assessment results

In this capacity, I also

Coordinated linkages with external partners including; Tertiary Education Council, Affiliated Institutions Unit of the University of Botswana as well as the Departments of Teacher training and Development, Teaching Services Management, Primary Education and Curriculum Development and Evaluation.

Head of Special Education Department

As Head of the Special Education Department, I

Introduced the Special Education component in the Diploma in Secondary Education program offered at Molepolole and Tonota Colleges of Education where in my role included

Chairing the subject panel that developed the syllabus for the subject

Revising the program regulation to include the new subject

Presenting both the syllabus and regulations to college Academic Boards, Board of Affiliated Institutions (UB), the National Curriculum Coordinating Committee, as well as Unified Board of Affiliated Institutions before they were finally approved by University of Botswana Senate.

Over and above these, I also

Facilitated team building in the department through ongoing staff development.

Directing team in the development and / or identification and procurement of teaching and learning resources needed for the newly introduced subject

Developed departmental annual performance plan and guided staff to develop their own individual performance plans to drive the college strategy

Guided college management about the needs of the department to be considered for financial allocation

Chaired the college Admissions Committee.

Lecturer

As lecturer I taught the following courses;

Educational Testing Measurement and Evaluation

Educational Psychology

Guidance and Counseling

Educational Administration

Various courses for education of children with special educational needs including sensory, intellectual, physical, emotional and behavioral challenges

Special Education

Teaching Gifted and Talented Children

Skills and Competencies

Some of the skills and competencies that have enabled me to perform the above duties successfully included;

Leadership

Management of human, fiscal, time and other resources

Communication; listening, speaking, writing, receiving and giving constructive feedback

Information Communication Technology including proficiency at the use of Microsoft applications ; MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS- Power Point, MS-Project

Analysis

Research

Strategic Planning

Counseling

Report Writing

Conflict Resolution

Mediation

Policy Development

Consultancy

Financial Management

Supervision

Evaluation

Staff Appraisal

Public Speaking

Marketing

Knowledge of Local , Regional and International legislation and frameworks regarding education

Government Policy on Education; Pre-primary, Primary , Secondary and Tertiary levels

Achievements

Elevation of Tlokweng College of Education from Provisional Affiliation to Full Affiliation with the University of Botswana in 2007

Registration of the college with the Tertiary Education Council in 2006

Introducing the Special Education Curricular in the Teacher Training program for Junior Secondary Schools in 1997

Part Coordinating the Development of the teaching / learning policy for Affiliated Institutions to the University of Botswana

Establishment of strong working teams as an outcome of the colleges Performance Management Systems

Revision of the Academic Regulations for the Diploma in Primary Education to make them more fit for purpose

Strengthening of stakeholder involvement in the activities of the college, including more involvement of students representation in the college governance

A general improvement of the image of the college over the last few years

Outreach, Workshops and Conferences

I have;

Provided numerous in-service workshops for teachers in government and private schools around the country through Ministry of Education, CHOPS, Special Needs Association of Botswana. Topics included Learning Disabilities, Whole School Approaches to Learning Support, Dyslexia

Participated in the development of the guidelines by the Special Education Division-Ministry of Education- for modification of examinations to make them accessible to children with various types of special needs

Volunteered as counselor for Life Line Botswana

I have also

Attended numerous Quality Assurance Conferences and Workshops organized by the Tertiary Education Council, University of Botswana, Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs as well as Ministry of Education and other organizations. Conferences/ workshops included but not limited to;

2004, Performance Based Reward System

2004, Enhancement of learning for children with special educational needs

2005 / 2006, Trainer of Trainers Workshop Institutional Quality Assurance Audits

2007, HEQMISA (Higher Education Quality Management in Southern Africa) Conference

Publications / projects

(editors) Abosi, Didimalang, Gabanakemo, Nwaogu (1998) Issues on Access and Opportunity to Basic Education for the Disabled Children of Botswana: proceedings of the second national seminar of BCD 25 27 November 1998

Didimalang, C (2000) Pass PSLE mathematics, Pyramid Publishing, Gaborone

Dart, Didimalang and Pilime (2001) Evaluation of Special Units for Children with Mental Retardation

Didimalang, C (2003) Pass JC Mathematics. Pyramid Publishing, Gaborone

Didimalang, C (2003) Excellent Mathematics for Grade 7. Zebra Publishing Namibia.

Didimalang, C (2009)Assessing the Diploma in Primary Education for Quality on going project.

Referees:

1. D. Sobhani

Managing Director, New Era College of Art, Science and technology

P O Box 402134

Gaborone

+267 71962244

2. Dr. Amos Thapisa

Chairman, New Era College Council

New Era College of Art, Science and Technology

P O Box 402134

Gaborone

+267 75339202

3. Mr. P. Tsumake

College Registrar

P O Box 402134

Gaborone

+267 74937355

1

Clement Didimalang CV and Certificates, 2018.