By Regina Simasiku
WINDHOEK – Two national prizes were scooped by St Boniface learners on Wednesday this week for the overall best performance in six Ordinary Level subjects.
Alfons Kudumo and Arabela Makgone each received N$1 200 from Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) while numerous other top performers in the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) and Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC) received prize money sponsored by some others in the private sector.
“You and I are proud to be what we are today because of education. Yes, education indeed transforms individuals, communities, societies and countries at large,’’ said Dr David Namwandi, Minister of Education, at the prize-giving ceremony held at a local Windhoek hotel.
Noting that education prepares people for the future, Namwandi added that education causes people to unfold, create and develop critical thinking in order to make them understand things better, such as values, behaviour and attitudes, and improves the living standards of people.
“Today we celebrate, recognize and award the outstanding performance of the best Grade 10 and 12 learners,’’ said Namwandi.
Furthermore, he encouraged the prize winners who qualified for admission to tertiary institutions to be critical and analytical at all times as this is the only way to maintain and sustain outstanding academic performance.
He also urged the learners that did not qualify for Grade 11 and who were not accepted at tertiary institutions not to be discouraged or frustrated by the 2014 results. He remarked that there are always second and even third chances in life and advised students to improve their results to eventually study further.