Zebaldt Ngaruka 

EPUKIRO - The Omaheke region’s poor performance in the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) and Advanced Subsidiary level (AS) results have left the regional leadership and stakeholders scratching their heads. 

Omaheke took the 13th position in the 2023 NSSCO regional ranking, a significant drop from position 10 in 2022.

Aimed at unpacking challenges confronting the region’s education sector, to formulate solutions and map the way forward, a consultative meeting between the regional leadership and key stakeholders was held in the regional capital Gobabis last Friday. 

Chief amongst the worrying leaders is governor Pijoo Nganate, who at the gathering expressed that the results were disappointing, and that the region must act and restrategise to find pragmatic solutions. Nganate said the low pass rate and overall performance of the region have reached a point of enormous concern.  “The failure is sort of causing frustration and deep pain to us as leaders, and to the parents and learners,” he expressed. The region’s first citizen reasoned that passing blame serves no purpose at this point in time.

“We are faced with huge problems. We need to act now to improve the performance ranking in the region to realise its full potential. We have to change and evolve the way we approach this situation, moving forward,” the governor stressed. 

On what should be done to improve the situation, the governor believes that there is a need to identify the problem areas, and do a region-specific interrogation. “These questions can also be meaningfully addressed by visiting all pockets of the region, and solidifying truthful critiques from the role players,” noted Nganate.  The governor further called on parents to become actively involved in their children’s education, and to instil a value system of discipline, respect, hard work, and ambition.

“This will facilitate and allow teachers to successfully teach and impart knowledge and skills,” continued Nganate.  The governor emphasised that teachers and parents have a huge role to play in ensuring the success of the regional education system. 

“Although there are demoralised teachers, I am optimistic that the majority of educationalists are well-prepared, have a positive attitude, and are committed to the regional education system.

Sharing similar sentiments was the chairperson of the Omaheke Regional Council, Ignatius Kariseb, who urged parents to increase their involvement and spearhead children’s education.

“Our children must understand that they are not doing any favour for their parents by going to school, but it’s rather an opportunity for them to craft their own future and destination,” stated Kariseb.

Amongst others, the chairperson recommended regular assessments that must be prioritised to provide timely insights into learners’ performance trends.  “This will help educators to identify challenges and promptly implement targeted interventions,” Kariseb continued.

The stakeholders’ meeting was attended by regional and local authority councillors, traditional and religious leaders, officials from the regional council, local authorities and government offices, ministries and agencies, tertiary institutions, and chairpersons of secondary school boards in the region. 

Additionally, school principals, heads of department, head boys and head girls from each secondary school were also in attendance, as well as the Namibian Police. - zngaruka@yahoo.com