Everything will come to a standstill next week when the nation and the African continent bid farewell to one of its own. Since 4 February 2024, and with shattered hearts, Namibians from all walks of life have been struggling to come to terms with the passing on of our third democratically elected president. President Hage Geingob’s death has sparked arguably the biggest outpouring of grief in Namibia’s relatively young history as a democratic nation.
Businesses, schools, and local and regional authorities have all joined government offices and agencies, including the holding of candlelight vigils and prayers in memory of the departed soul of our statesman. As we work to integrate the new reality of moving forward in life without our beloved leader, those close to him have shared personal memories of their life and times during State-headed memorial services this week.
The central message is that Geingob was guided
throughout his life by his unwavering commitment to
equality and justice. He has been described by many as a compassionate man, with a remarkable ability to connect with old and young, and one who also placed a huge premium on teamwork. His immense work in crafting the Namibian constitution as well as his dedication to developing the public service charter speaks of a great nationalist and Pan-Africanist.
Indeed, his legacy is hard to go unnoticed. Today, our supreme law is one of the most progressive in the world and enjoys high acclaim internationally. We have an effective and efficient public administration serving the needs of Namibian citizens. Processes, systems and institutions as Geingob would always put it. We simply can’t ignore his impact in helping shape the body politic of our nation. President Geingob practiced and promoted values, which for many years will be the cornerstone of his legacy. Thus, his legacy will endure forever.
Address education challenges
A parliamentary committee report made public this week
has cast aspersions on the revised secondary education curriculum, blaming it for the high failure rate experienced in the country. The report by the National Council’s Standing Committee on Education, Science, ICT, and Youth Development, also concluded, among many others, that the implementation of the revised curriculum was poorly planned and not well-resourced. It further took issue with how the education authorities endorsed the new curriculum considering that its “flaws resulted in the high failure rate and increase on the school dropouts”.
Proponents of the new curriculum have on numerous occasions defended it, saying there is no ground to question the quality of the curriculum as it was benchmarked against the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). It now appears that the chickens have now come home to roost. We have a crisis on our hands, which could spiral out of control if not effectively mitigated.
The National Council parliamentary committee should be commended for running a robust fact-finding mission and investigation on this crucial issue. It is also refreshing to see that the committee has listed several recommendations. For far too long, we have been going around in circles regarding our educational challenges. A blame game has always ensued in the process. The situation now requires us to swallow our pride and as stakeholders come together in a meaningful way to help address these concerns. Wasting time pointing fingers is far from constructive. Let us rather look for solutions and stop playing the blame game.