By William Mbangula
Oshakati
Namcol northern office honoured the best performing tutors and centres at Oshakati in Oshana and Ondobe in Ohangwena regions last week.
The out-of-school learning institution has set its own criteria to weigh the performance of individual centres and tutors.
Concerning the centre, it looks at the pass rate of the learners in all subjects at the centre, class attendance of tutors and learners, functionality of the centre management and governance, the learners representative council (LRC), the general administration and organisation of the centre.
The tutors are measured through the evaluation of the pass rate in the specific subject taught, commitment and dedication, skills in administration and organisational matters.
The Namcol centre at Oshakati Secondary School under Lovisa Kafugula had a good pass rate of 88% last year.
Kafugula has been in charge of the centre since 2000 working with nine tutors and currently teaching 375 learners in Grade 10.
Uukelo Combined School in Ondobe constituency under Klaudia Haukongo scored 73% in the Life Science subject in Grade 10 last year. The school has three tutors for 22 learners.
For this, Haukongo was given a personal prize of N$1 500, a personal trophy and an advert in the media.
The winning centre at Oshakati received a floating trophy, merit certificate and an advert in the newspapers.
Handing over the first ever awards to the winners, Namcol Regional Manager Paavo Pea lauded them for their contribution and commitment in helping Namcol realise its mission and strategic goals.
The awards are given to celebrate and acknowledge their success, which was achieved through many years of hard work and dedication in pursuit of their duties.
The doubts, setbacks and frustrations they may have endured along the way did not make them waver.
Said Pea, who has been in charge of Namcol here since 1998: “The criteria followed indicates the challenges you are facing. I believe you have set yourself standards which you should keep and advance at all times.
“While we enjoin you to share in your joy for such an outstanding performance, you cannot afford to be complacent now but to aim for good results at the end of the year and beyond.”
Pea encouraged the prize-winners to use their ability by combining their vision with curiosity.
They should have the ability to keep challenging, questioning and exploring more and this is what has made them winners.
Borrowing an old adage, he said: “To succeed, we must first believe that we can. Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey.”
Namcol is a publicly-funded educational institution established by an act of Parliament (Act No. 1 of 1997) which provides learning opportunities for adults and out-of-school youth.
It has about 26 163 learners throughout the country, of which 13 668 are in the North under 500 tutors at 65 various centres.
The learners do a combination of subjects totalling 25 324.