By Anna Ingwafa
Oshikuku
Elim Circuit won the Omusati regional prizes for performing exceptionally well in Grade 10.
The circuit managed to get 54.9% in the overall Grade 10 pass rate.
Prizes and awards were given to some schools that topped the regions with their results.
Individual teachers were also awarded because of their efforts in helping learners to attain good marks in their respective subjects.
Director of Education in Oshana Region Lameck Kafindi told the big gathering of learners, teachers and parents last week at Nuuyoma Senior Secondary School that Elim Circuit was number one in the whole region.
Kafindi commended four schools that performed better than the others in the regions and they are: Nuuyoma Senior Secondary School attained 92.7 percent, Okaleke Combined 87.9 percent, Omunkete Combined 87.3 percent and Ashipala Senior Secondary School 80.7 percent.
“It is for these four that we are able to raise our heads. It is equally true that the reason we are at this position does not only depend on that positive contribution. We are also here because there are those schools and individuals that did not do as expected from them,” said Kafindi.
He named the five schools that performed poorly in the circuit and set a target for them to attain 60 percent this year. They are: Etayi Combined, Iipandayamiti Combined, Emvula Junior Secondary School, Enoleu Combined and Oshikuku Junior Secondary School. These schools have a high enrolment of learners and last year they were among the bottom performers.
“It is not acceptable,” Kafindi cautioned.
The regional director said last year he challenged all schools in his region to improve their results by 10 percent. Some schools did not live up to that challenge, which is a shame. Maybe they worked hard but they were not smart, he said.
“If we continue to fail this nation to this extent, we are not only retarding our own progress towards Vision 2030, and we are not only retarding the attainment of economic independence of the learners under our care. I am afraid to mention that we are really wasting our scarce resources,” he explained.
He announced that in this year’s budget, the Government availed over N$300 million to enable the learners that did not meet the requirements to Grade 11 to repeat.
“This money is a direct result of our failure to deliver. The non-achievement of our schools is nothing but a direct sabotage of government plans and I am afraid that we do not view it as a serious mater.”
Kafindi called upon all schools to pull up their socks and achieve. He urged all those that get the opportunity to repeat to use it now and if there is no space at a given school, he urged them to consult the inspector of education close to them or alternatively his office.
The director also acknowledged the floods in the region.
“Quite a number of schools are closed and would remain closed. Some of them are closed for some class groups only. Others are closed completely.
We have some schools where we have requested the Grade 10 learners and teachers to remain at the schools and camp there. The situation is not ideal and we have not planned for this. We depend on the assistance of both the community and the goodwill gestures of the business community.”
Kafindi added that the situation may affect the performance of the schools in the region. He encouraged them to both work hard and be smart.
At the same occasion, Kafindi disclosed that the region has appointed two new inspectors of education and thus created two new circuits of Etayi and Anamulenge.
The creation of Etayi has directly affected the Elim Circuit.
“As of now Elim Circuit would serve Elim Constituency and Oshikuku Constituency, while Etayi Circuit will serve only Etayi Constituency.
“The split of Anamulenge and Outapi would also affect schools that have requested to be considered differently within this re-allocation of schools and my office is busy looking into the matter. Please bear with us.”
He thanked the sponsors that made the event possible. The sponsors of the prizes and awards were: Bank Windhoek, Old Mutual Group Scheme, First National Bank of Namibia, Carifornia Auto Spares, NS Oshana Bottle Store, Ongwediva Daily Market, Amukushu Meat Supply, Oshikuku Village, Northern Printing Press, Fysal Fresh Market, Shekutamba Shikongo, Andreas Richard, Isai Nambuli and Namibia Funeral Supply.