...calls for education levy

...vows to account for taxpayers’ money

...wants spring school, extra classes back

A resurgent Namibia National Students’ Organisation - which has over the years failed to account for public monies - has come out guns blazing, saying the country’s ailing education state has reached crisis proportions. 

Nanso also expressed utter disappointment in the recent outcome of the national grades 11 and 12 examinations that resulted in 80% of the candidates who sat for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate and the Advanced Subsidiary levels failing to meet minimum university entry requirements.  

“We must, in no uncertain terms, concede that we are sitting in the middle of a crisis; on top of a pot that, without concerted and serious attention, will boil over. It must never be accepted as normal that of the 38 019 candidates who wrote the NSSCO examinations, only 5 812 qualify to enrol at institutions of higher learning, or that 8 133 qualify to proceed to NSSCAS level,” said Nanso leader Lucia Ndishishi. 

She continued: “In a country with a history such as ours, and poverty, inequality and unemployment levels like the ones we have, the consequences of such a low pass rate are dire to our national and social fabric. To accept these results as they have been presented is to accept that the streets are most likely the fate of tens of thousands of Namibian children.”

What is also clear from the student organisation’s hilltop is that the results are a collective national failure that cannot be apportioned to an individual. 

“We wish to recognise that education is not a singular event, nor is it a responsibility of one entity or person. Instead, it is a public good that is guaranteed to all, by all, and, thus, a social process that can and, indeed, should not only exist within classrooms, but also across a multitude of sites, and at unconventional times,” added Ndishishi, cementing their tone at a press conference yesterday. 

‘Fire her’

There are those calling for education minister Anna Nghipondoka’s head to roll, following the embarrassing results.

To such talks, Nanso said it was not their prerogative to fire the minister.

But if it is the wish of its constituents (students and learners) to have the minister removed, Nanso will rally behind them.

Nghipondoka appeared to have been surprised when the results were released last week. Announcing the results in Eenhana, Ohangwena region, the minister described the results as “shocking”.

Acknowledging that Covid-19 has impacted the mastery of all competencies by learners due to reduced teaching and learning time, compounded by a rationalised curriculum at different grade levels, effective and efficient quality teaching and learning has not been taking place in many of our schools, she said.

She blamed teachers.

She called on education directors to
ensure that the organisational structures put up for the ministry to carry its mandate are implemented and ensure effective and accountable service delivery at schools. 

“Internal efficiency should be taken care of through targeted interventions,” she added.

Her appointing authority, President Hage Geingob has reportedly requested a comprehensive report on what led to the lacklustre performance.  

Not impressed

Nanso is clearly unimpressed with the outcome.  There were 38 019 full-time pupils
for the 2022 Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) at 363 full-time centres and only 5 812 scored 25 points or higher, allowing them to enter tertiary education while 8 133 (21%) qualified for Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level in 2023.

This, in itself, is a disappointment for
Nanso, as the number of registered candidates dropped significantly when compared with the 2021 academic year. 

That year, “46 977 candidates were examined at NSSCO level, however, this year, the figure dropped to 38 019 candidates in 2022 (a difference of almost 9 000).”

What is worrying is: “That the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture cannot fully account for the cause of this significant drop - in a country with a fast-growing and relatively young population - is a matter of serious concern that requires urgent and concerted attention.”

Prescriptions

Additionally, Nanso - whose critics say is a shadow of its former self or serves at the pleasure of political masters at the expense of students and learners - proposed a myriad of interventions to arrest the education calamity.  

Superior among them is for the Cabinet to establish a high-level technical and intervening committee geared towards the government’s overall response. 

“We do not want more educational conferences or workshops. We have had enough that provides an adequate outlook of the issues and what needs to be done about them,” the student leader demanded. 

Composed of a strong and diverse technical government, educationalists, teachers’ union representatives, independent policy advisors and Nanso, the committee will have four main objectives.

Chiefly, it will have to account for the significant reduction in the number of candidates who sat for last year’s examinations. 

More so, the emergency committee will also have to see to it that the about 30 000 candidates who failed to meet entry results for tertiary institutions are retained in formal schooling. 

This is because most of them are from low-income households and “unable to enrol in private colleges”.

The proposed committee will also be tasked with the implementation of the revised curriculum, by identifying the gaps and deficits experienced thus far, before coming up with the proposed response plan for immediate implementation.

“There is an urgent need to facilitate a nationwide and extensive awareness campaign on the new curriculum… in our consultations with learners, teachers and guardians across the country, it has become clear that whatever efforts have been invested into ensuring that Namibians understand how the new curriculum works have been inadequate,” she advanced. 

It is Nanso’s position that many
Namibians remain in a state of despair as far as what is required to “progress to NSSCAS, what options are available to those who do not or cannot progress to NSSCAS and so forth.” 

Extra classes

Another immediate intervention the government must revive this year is the re-introduction of extra classes for learners and spring schooling. 

“Our understanding is that, nationally, these spring classes have been abandoned due to a lack of funds. But our demand is that the ministry works to acquire such funding, and ensure the reinstatement of spring classes in this academic year. “We must become more innovative in how we source funding for various activities and programmes which may support national educational outcomes,” said Nanso.

Education levy 

While the nation continues priding itself that education has been among the biggest recipient from the treasury during budget allocations, what is true is that over 80% of that goes into salaries and wages. 

Only 20% goes to actual education related expenditure such as the procurement of textbooks, computers, repairs and other basic needs. Nanso conceded that the current funding model is inadequate and unsustainable.  Instead, Nanso said, government must come up with an education levy, strictly to fund education.  “The money is just paying salaries,” the organisation’s vice president, Luciano Kambala said, stressing that alternative ways to resource public schools must be explored. 

No accountability

Meanwhile, Nanso has enjoyed its fair share of controversies in recent times, particularly over its inability to account for public monies entrusted to it.  At present, Nanso is the only student body that is funded by the State. 

Its rival organisation, the Students’ Union of Namibia (SUN), which was predominantly formed by disgruntled former Nanso members, receives nothing.

Back in 2018, higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi reported to the National Assembly that Nanso failed to account for the N$1.2 million it received between 2016 and 2018. While the student body is yet to open its financial records for scrutiny, it has rebuffed claims of misappropriating public funds.

Yesterday, Kambala also stuck to his guns, saying they can account for every penny given to them. However, their audited financial reports have been prepared but remain unavailable, due to shortage of funds. 

Their commitment is to submit all the reports before April when the current financial year lapses. He also downplayed assertions that Nanso has lost relevance, a sentiment held by their detractors. Nanso, he said, will continue to reinvent itself, holding the government to account and remaining a key stakeholder in the education sector. 

“Nanso will not die,” Kambala maintained.

-emumbuu@nepc.com.na