By Lize Kubersky WINDHOEK As the country gears for the beginning of the first school term of the 2007 school year, New Era approached a few stakeholders on their perspectives on what 2007 holds for education. Senior Public Relations Officer in the Ministry of Education, Toivo Mvula, says although discussions have as yet to open, the continuation of the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP) is guaranteed. When President Hifikepunye Pohamba opened the Roundtable Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the ETSIP Programme in April 2006, he said: “ETSIP was adopted with a view to improve quality, access, equity, efficiency and effectiveness in the entire education system.” Affirming the above, Minister of Education Nangolo Mbumba also stated in the ETSIP document in September 2006 that the education and training system analysis has shown that too many Namibian children are not gaining the basic skills of functional literacy and numeracy. With N$2 billion required for the programme, pledges by private and international donors indicate the first phase, stretching from 2006 to 2011, is in progress. ETSIP advocacy is to start in March this year. ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ The ministry will embark on advertising and awareness campaigns addressing all stakeholders – from teachers, scholars, principals to parents – on the vision of the programme as it coincides with Vision 2030, to make Namibia a knowledge-based economy. The placement of scholars is a top priority for the ministry, which is building 440 classrooms to reduce the shortfall in classroom space as identified in previous seasons. Already 179 classrooms have been completed for 2 905 primary school spaces and 2 580 secondary school spaces. Admission now starts each July and ends in September to ensure effective placement and to avoid the chaos of last-minute entry. The transfer of scholars is also under scrutiny, allowed only in cases where parents move from one region to another. This is to ensure that learner traffic is controlled to analyse the numbers of scholars present in a region. Mariental High School (MHS) principal Reginald Poulton says 2007 is a year to build on the previous year. “Although we are satisfied with the output the learners are rendering, we know that with more dedication and a positive attitude towards school, learners will improve their performance. With individual Grade 10 learners who achieved 42 points in the exams as well as proven prominence in the Grade 12 exams, the school anticipates good results in the IGCSE feedback,” Poulton said telephonically. With 650 learners and 24 teachers the management feels all stakeholders in schools should live up to their responsibilities. With scholar attitudes towards teachers edging on controversy, discussions have led to teachers affirming their roles as educators, embarking on strategies to manifest authority as soon as the classroom is entered. Its three-year elected school board in place, decisions are taken with the input of the parents, directors and teachers, he said. Poulton pointed out that an evident problem is that there is only place for 160 Grade 11 learners at the school this year to which the school’s Grade 10 learners, promoted in 2006, have the first right of admission. This is alarming as Grade 11 space demands for 2007 stand at 293. “Please make use of the opportunities school gives you. If you have pride in your school, radiate your respect in the classroom as well as in society. If the school works together, it grows together. The saying goes, ‘Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is the progress but working together is the success with a difference,'” the head girl of MHS, Leandie Labuschagne, encourages her fellow learners. Role identification had already been introduced at the first SRC meeting last year just before the final examinations. Among the challenges forÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ parents is buying uniforms and stationery for the children. Parents are rushing to stores to obtain the tools their children need according to the wish lists of the schools presented to parents at the end of last term. Elmari Bock, a tailor in the south, is one of those small business people seeing a market niche especially in the provision of school uniforms. “I see the need for the less fortunate, and realise they are unable to buy the expensive school wear,” she rationalises the business opportunity. “I work from a small shop in town. Parents from Sonop Primary, D.D Guibeb, Empelheim and Mariental High School approach me to make the uniforms for their children. I find this to be a privilege, to enable kids to go to school. Some children realise that their parents are trying their best. Some are open-minded enough to understand that although the uniform is not the one from the expensive shop, it is one from a shop that aims to lessen the pain of being unable to afford the big price-tagged version of unity.” Another hurdle to overcome in the new school season is subject choice for the grades 11 and 12. Learners have been complaining about choosing the E1 combination, which comprises biology, physical science and a preferred third subject, mostly computer science, which is a popular choice. Aspiring writers, who should choose D4 in order to get acquainted with history and geography, mostly end up choosing the B2 combination, which includes business and economics. This is a problem teachers are fighting to eradicate. Projects and organisations to keep an eye on in 2007 include ACORD, an organisation creating strategies for information sharing in the communities to develop the economy. By developing initiatives to form networks of people, the non-governmental organisation plans to approach the year 2007 with their standard mission to connect people to information. Meetings will take place in the weeks to follow. ProjectÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ Girl Child, run by the Family Planning Association of Pakistan, and UNICEF and CIDA, aims to raise awareness of the situation of the female child aged between 11 and 18 years. Girl Child contributes to the list of endeavours that encourage health, economic self-reliance, education and skills development. Forming part of the society of educational organisations, Schoolnet contributes highly to the development of technological skills. It is the leading training and support organisation, providing the Internet to over 300 schools since the beginning of the new millennium. With wireless Internet, Schoolnet enables thousands of learners to use the Internet as an information source. By connecting schools, information is shared in a fast and effective way. Enviroteach, ‘a teaching aid for all teachers’ is a Share-Net project endorsed by EEASA (Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa). Working towards job creation and capacity building, Enviroteach aims to develop both formal and informal training sectorsÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ with environmental education. On the parental front for mother of two, Elke Cosburn, the thought of taking her daughter Chandra to school for the first time this year invokes both hope and fear. Hope that the school may continue with the character building of her child she started with. Fear that Chandra might not adapt to the environment the school creates by placing this infantile person in the company of so many diverse characters, which could mean isolation, adaptation or a mixture of both. Matilda! Heiseb, a parent of four pupils, says it is not easy to maintain an atmosphere in which children are willing to invest more time in homework. According to her, they feel it is already enough that they go to school questioning why they should spend hours after school doing schoolwork. “I am a housekeeper and I live in Katutura. Keeping my children in school is a huge task. Bet El allows my children to learn English, Afrikaans, Damara, writing and science. What they enjoy most is sport during physical training (PT). My sons play soccer, and I hope 2007 will be a year when they show more interest in the schooling part of their routine, rather than only soccer. My daughter Ntinin loves maths, and her marks are good. I hope her intelligence will teach her that education will shape her life.”