Aletta Shikololo
Rudolf Gaiseb
The decision by the ministry of education to withdraw a 2019 circular concerning the employment of teachers, has thrown the cat among the pigeons in the sector.
The ministry said in a directive that some professional teaching qualifications from certain teachers’ training institutions do not indicate the appropriate phase or area of specialisation in terms of a professional teaching qualification for the Junior Primary Phase (pre-primary grade – grade three), or the medium of instruction (MoI) for which the teacher was trained and certified to teach.
This created serious challenges when it comes to determining the suitable placement of teachers in the junior primary phase, the ministry stated.
Practically, professional teaching qualifications are indicated as Early Learning Development Pre-Primary Teaching Diploma NQF level six; Diploma in Early Childhood and Pre-Primary NQF level seven; and Diploma in Pre-Primary Education NQF level seven. Another scenario is that some professional teaching qualifications do not specify the MoI for which the teacher is trained and certified to use for teaching and learning in the junior primary phase. “Furthermore, there are professionally- qualified teachers who completed the Basic Education Teachers’ Diploma (BETD) and other recognised professional teaching qualifications in the junior primary phase, whose professional teaching qualifications do not specify the MoI,” clarified the ministry.
They have, therefore, found it complicated to place those teachers appropriately in vacant junior primary phase teaching posts.
In a press statement issued on 20 June 2024, the ministry said: “This comes in response to ongoing developments since the initial directive was issued on 13 November 2019.” With the already skyrocketing unemployment rates in the country, the representative of the unemployed teachers’ committee Jesaya Kaundu said he has been approached by distressed affected graduates, demanding to know the way forward for them.
“These graduates are now considered unqualified, and cannot be hired because their qualifications do not match the national curriculum standards,” he stressed.
The graduates, whose qualifications came into effect as a result of the 2019 Education Circular No 3, which has now been discontinued by the education ministry, are uncertain about the future, leaving them scratching their heads as their prospects look bleak. “These graduates are already wallowing in poverty, with no money to go for interviews, and teaching posts having become scarce and now this. What more is going to happen to them?” asked Kaundu.
He believes the ministry’s decision will contribute to the already-burgeoning unemployment rate in the country.
The Students Union of Namibia (SUN) said at a press conference held at the International University of Management yesterday that the ministry should reconsider its decision.
They recommended the continued recruitment of current education graduates to prevent joblessness, adding that the new directive should be effective next year after proper consultations with all relevant stakeholders.
“We have noted the directive sent to all chief regional officers, subject to the withdrawal of formal Education Circular 3 of 2019: appropriate appointment qualifications for filling of teaching posts junior primary phase (pre-primary, grades one to three) in State schools,” said SUN president Benhard Kavau. That basically means graduates who obtained their degrees and whose specialisation is not listed on the degree, will not be considered for recruitment. “The union hereby requests the ministry to consider recruiting the affected graduates while negotiations continue because it is late for universities to reprint, and before the institutions make any amendments, the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) must be involved. The union is very disappointed by the ministry. It seems there is a lack of cooperation between them and the NQA.” Kavau continued.
Guidelines
The ministry initially urged recruiters to only consider an applicant for appointment into a teaching post on a permanent basis in the junior primary phase if the MoI for the school or that particular class group is the same as the language subject which was offered in the secondary
phase of the academic qualifications. “By implication, an applicant who has, for example, offered Afrikaans as a language subject in the secondary phase should be considered for appointment to teach using Afrikaans as a MoI on a permanent basis on condition that he/she obtained an A, B, C, D, E, F or G grade, and this grade appears on the school-leaving certificate,” the ministry added.
Ideally, the ministry said it could have been appropriate to recruit professionally-trained teachers with good symbols in Grades 10 or
12, but this is rendered impossible by the fact that some teachers might have entered teachers’ education programmes through different entry requirements. The ministry also indicated that some teachers’ training institutions offer pre-primary or junior primary education qualifications without specifying the grades that a teacher is trained and certified to teach, for example grades one to three.
A qualification titled as such might be interpreted as a professional teaching
qualification for the pre-primary grade only, instead of being interpreted as a professional teaching qualification for junior primary phase (pre-primary and grades 1-3), said the ministry. To this effect, certain courses are affected,
leaving the graduates of those courses in limbo.
These are the Diploma in Early Childhood and Pre-primary Education level seven at Namcol; Certificate in Education for Development, level four (Namcol); Diploma in Education for Development level six (Namcol); Certificate in Early Childhood Development, level five (Namcol); IUM’s Diploma in Education (Pre- and Junior Primary), level seven; IUM’s Bachelor of Education in Pre- and Junior Primary Education Honours, level eight; IOL Diploma Primary level seven in Pre-Education; IOL Diploma Primary level seven in Junior Education; and IOL Junior Primary Teacher Education Diploma, level six.
Inconsiderate
The Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUN)’s secretary general Mahongora Kavihuha said the ministry’s decision is inconsiderate to those affected, and does not indicate if there was adequate consultation with affected institutions. “The government, through the ministry, is required to have constant consultations with stakeholders such as students’ representatives, teachers, institutions offering those courses, and regulatory bodies. We don’t recall a serious discussion on this matter,” he emphasised.
Kavihuha regards the decision as unilateral and insensitive.
This, he said, will mean students or graduates of the mentioned courses will be recruited on a contract basis, and will be thrown out of the system anytime. “It must be understood that the employer of all public servants is not the ministry of education, but the Office of the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Public Service Commission. So, for the ministry to tamper with the requirement is a contravention of the highest order and negligence,” he charged, adding that the rationale of their decision is lousy. The ministry of education couldn’t provide information on the matter before going to print.