Being in the noble profession of teaching is far from an eight to five grind – just for the money.
Here, you will find yourself going the extra mile without anyone holding a gun to your head; Koenrad Beukes says it best.
That it is that little sacrifice for a fellow being – that makes everything more rewarding and your life worth living.
Beukes is a secondary school teacher, qualified to teach grades 8 to10 – but currently, he is an English teacher for grades 4 to 7 at the Bethanie Primary School in the south of Namibia.
But what makes a person opt for a place where over 500 children from all walks of life spend almost all day making noise as an ideal place of work?
To get a thorough understanding of his thought process, it is best that we start at the beginning.
Getting started
Born in southern Namibia, Beukes is the third youngest of seven siblings – all of whom were raised by their parents.
“I completed my Primary Education at Schmelenville in Bethanie before moving to Suiderlig Senior Secondary School in Keetmanshoop, where I complete my Senior Certificate in 1996. In search of a professional career in 2002, I obtained a Basic Education Teachers Diploma (BETD), specialising in Social Science 8-10 from the Windhoek College of Education,” Beukes revealed.
Beukes had enough experience on the school grounds way before his first paycheck.
But by then, the teaching has already got him, having joined the public service in 1997 as a promoter for the National Literacy Programme.
“A National Literacy Programme promoter is someone who assists the elderly with basic literacy skills,” Beukes explained.
Prior to that, according to Beukes, he used to assist teachers at his previous school in Bethanie with invigilation of classes and examinations.
However, in 2002, he formally rejoined the public sector as a teacher, having completed his tertiary education.
“I can proudly say that education chose me because I tried to find a job in any other government ministry, but only ‘the doors to wisdom’ opened for me. And yes, it was always my dream to work for the Namibian government to serve the people and make a positive impact in their lives,” Beukes says proudly.
He relishes his responsibility, which is to teach children how to read, write and eventually become productive and responsibly citizens of our country.
Challenges
However, his job is not without trials and some of the challenges he encounters have to do with him trying to inculcate a reading culture amongst the learners.
“There is a lack of textbooks and little parental involvement. This might be due to the growing number of teenage pregnancies, resulting in children growing up with their grandparents, while the parents seek employment, especially in rural areas,” Beukes lamented.
“Be that as it may, I find satisfaction when all my learners achieve the basic competencies laid out in the syllabus and when they grow up and become responsible productive adults,” he maintained.
She said his 20 years of experience, coupled with the passion he has for the job, plus his team spirit and commitment makes it easier for him to achieve numerous feats on the job.
“During the annual Standardised Achievement Test (SATs), the subjects I have taught have done exceptional very well. Also, as a sport-loving person, I had decided to introduce women’s soccer at the different schools here in Bethanie, because I believe this can help the self-esteem of our girls. Finally, there was this young boy whose parents were unable to send him to school because they did not have his birth certificate. This boy was idling at home but I managed to get him enrolled. He became a top performer and best of his class at the end of that academic year,” Beukes said, detailing some of the school grounds memories he will forever cherish.
“I get pleasure from working for the Namibian government because I love my country, and feel honoured to be part of its national programmes. Moreover, I am working with most of the important resources of our country, which is the human resource,” Beukes said.
Going forward
That said, Beukes disagrees with the sentiment that civil servants are less productive than their counterparts in the private sector, citing that “there might be some rotten apples but there are also people who love their jobs and country”.
Beukes is harbouring plans to serve the country for as long as his health allows him.
Having been a beneficiary of a state bursary, this is in return for the government investment in his studies.
“Professionally, I would like to upgrade my qualifications – and individually, with the help of other shareholders, I would like to start early childhood education centres in the most rural areas of our country to give these children an early start like the rest of the country,” Beukes said, stressing that “education is the cornerstone of every nation”.
“It is the mother of all professions. Therefore, I believe in education for all,” he concluded.