OMUTHIYA – The Director of Education, Arts and Culture for Oshikoto Region, Lameck Kafidi who will be retiring next month bade farewell to the educational fraternity on Friday as he handed down awards of excellence to hundreds of learners and teachers.
The recipients of his accolades were rewarded for their outstanding performance during the 2018 academic year.
Kafidi will be remembered for transforming Oshikoto into a region of excellence, which saw the region reigning on position one as an overall performer in the Junior Secondary Certificate for a consecutive 10 years. This is despite the region been marred with challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, inadequate hostel facilities, staff shortage and unconducive work environment
Kafidi has been on the helm of the directorate since 2008. A total of 4427 from 93 JSC centres set for Grade 10 exams, of the total, reverend Juuso Shikongo Secondary School, Oshigambo High School, Uukule, Heroes Private School, Onathinge, Amunime, and Omutwewomhedi produced 100 percent pass rate.
Oshikoto ranked number one nationally in Maths, Geography, History, Physical and Life Science. The region however performs fairly in the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate, an attribution Kafidi, has repeatedly said was a result of lack of hostel facilities, which in most cases exposes learners to external forces thus reducing their performance.
“Many a times, I am asked how we do it to manage such a record and I never hesitated to tell them that we are managing a coherent team that is self-driven and self-propelled. Our team is engaged in a very healthy completion, not only competing with other regions but also amongst themselves,” stated Kafidi as he shares the secret recipe behind his success.
Furthermore, he said, it was for the good political leadership’s will that prioritises education, as well as the support from parents and communities that are always on board and willing to sacrifice the time and resources.
In addition, he pointed that in the unified success there are some principals that are dragging the system down, thus the director urged such individuals to up their game and be more responsible, saying successful learning institutes are created by principals.
Kafidi reminded learners and educators that results that are being celebrated did not come on a silver platter, “They are a result of hard work, sweat and tears from all of us.”
However, Kafidi expressed concern with higher learning institutions saying they are doing little to prepare for a large number of learners that will be seeking placement at universities and technical centres, taking cognisance of the new revised curriculum.
“In 2011 when we gathered in Windhoek, we were directed to reform education and we have started to do so. Education is revamped and we are just two years before the completion of the revision process. Our first semi-external examination was written last year (2018) and the first senior secondary Grade 10 started this year and they will write their exit Grade 11 next year. The result is, we are going to have two exit examinations in 2020, and I am delighted we will complete the reform process with only Advanced Subsidiary to go in 2021. I am however shocked that there is no singular preparation at our institutions of learning to be able to accommodate these double cohort release of learners,” he noted.