Gabriel Tomas

IHONGO - Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Anna Nghipondoka has urged school principals and teachers countrywide to be more efficient with exercise books.

She said this while handing over Vice President Nangolo Mbumba’s N$4 000 donation to the Ihongo Senior Secondary School on Thursday in the Onyaanya circuit of the Oshikoto region. Using the occasion, Nghipondoka said she wanted to speak the truth about the lack of efficiency in schools.

The minister said she has received many complaints from several parents and guardians about learners throwing away “unused” exercise books from schools.

“Principals all over the country, towards the end of the year, let every teacher identify how much space is left in each exercise book of every learner, and retain the book to be used the following year or maybe half of the year until it is finished. Then, you give that learner a new book,” she advised. “Almost 80% of the book is not used, and even the second and third book is not used. 

So, let us be internally efficient in what we are doing in our schools,” she added. 

Nghipondoka also raised concern about learners who are failing because they are given insufficient exercises in class.

Using one of the learner’s books as an example, she said: “The pages that are used in the exercise books are just eight out of 48 pages, then it is taken home to be thrown away”. She emphasised that teachers and principals must allow learners to utilise the unused books in the following grade, instead of dishing out new books.

The minister also urged school principals to be innovative and come up with ideas to sustain their schools.

“Our principals should think out of the box, and use classes which are not used as laboratories. So, let us not just relax at schools, waiting for the government to do everything for us,” she stressed.

The minister gave an example of herself when she was the ministry’s director in the Omusati region, saying she founded a project called “Groom a Scientist” – and they then created “laboratories”.

“We used to identify problems, and solve them the same way we fixed chairs, tables and taps,” said Nghipondoka.

She likewise advised parents to support schools when there is a need, but not with everything, because the ministry provides many things. “Schools must inform parents what they have and what they need, but they should not put the whole burden on them,” she continued. 

New curriculum

In an interview with Nampa on Friday, she also raised concern about teachers and learners failing to adapt to the new curriculum.

“Our teachers must leave the old curriculum of memorising, and shift to the new curriculum to improve the results of our Grade 11 learners,” the minister stressed.

She said learners who rely on memorising word by word will not get anything from the new curriculum. Nghipondoka also motivated learners to assess their performance, and come back stronger and smarter next year.

“You must ask yourself why you did not pass well. Is it because I do not listen very well when the teacher is teaching, or I do not hear the teachers when they are teaching?” she asked them rhetorically.

Teachers should also think of the percentages they have accomplished, and assess where they need improvement.

“The end of the year is always a time of reflection, like where did I do well and where did I do wrong, and how do I improve because life is forever all about improvement. You must go and reflect on where you did not do well,” she reiterated.

“Our teachers must point fingers at themselves, but not at learners, because we are carrying accountability for our learners,” Nghipondoka said.

“Imagine a learner is failing Oshindonga in class. Is it us teachers, or the learners? It is us, unless the learners have learning difficulties. But then I must do referrals to the hospital or social workers for people to go and help the learners,” she added. 

Dilapidated buildings

Ngipondoka further said schools should demolish dilapidated buildings before they cause harm to learners and staff.

“I urge the regional office’s department of planning to consider this seriously before it causes any harm to our teaching staff and learners.” 

- Nampa