WINDHOEK– Former learners, parents, supporters, teachers and learners last week gathered at the Jakob Marenga Secondary School to celebrate its 30th anniversary since the establishment of the school.
Some learners could not hide their excitement like, Elizandro Sebastiao, who has been a learner at the school for over five years. “This is one of many schools where you feel at home. They teach us how to be good leaders, something many don’t do and that’s worth a celebration,” says Sebastiao.
Another learner, Simon Nangaku who has been at the school for more than six years says what makes the school exciting is the fact there are diverse learners from different countries with different cultures and backgrounds. “The school is dominated by learners from other countries, which is a good thing we learn and share each other’s cultures and learn different languages. We got the most qualified teachers leading us and we are happy with that and now we celebrate this,” he says
Reflecting on the last 30 years years, school principal, Ottilie Abrahams, says the school policy has not changed since its existence but development took place. “The school started with 65 learners of which 25 were from South Africa (SA), the school was based in Khomasdal and we only had three classrooms but now we have 970 learners, 17 classrooms and 25 teachers from Namibia, Angola, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the DRC and South Africa,” says Abrahams
The school was known as the Tutorial College and later re-named Jakob Marengo Secondary School after the Namibia resistance fighter during the Nama resistance against German occupation between the years 1904 and 1908.. “Jakob Marengo was an exceptional person. He was an instinctive guerrilla fighter. We were determined to ensure that Jakob Marengo would be restored to his rightful place in Namibia history, hence the name Jakob Marengo Secondary School,” she says.
The philosophy of the school is based on principles such as participatory democracy, critical thinking, non sexism, responsibility and reciprocity as well as self-discipline. “These values are intended to produce people who will understand that they are their own liberators, once they become adults they will insist on participating, actively, in their own governance and become citizens who will work ceaselessly, to make the world a better place for humanity as a whole,” says Abrahams.