Lahja Nashuuta
Not many individuals can claim to have been employed by the same organisation from the outset, and continue to do so.
For Hosea Tangi Hosea, working at Sikanduko Combined School in the Kavango East region, which operates under the education ministry, feels like a second home as he has been a part of this institution since 2016.
He is passionate about education, and is a highly-qualified teacher.
For him, entering the public service represents a significant source of pride.
“With my passion to serve and my academic accolades, I believe it’s beneficial in the sense that I share my expertise with my colleagues and learners, and encourage others to do their best,” said the educator.
Hosea firmly asserts that serving as a role model for students and the community contributes significantly to the development of a productive nation that all aspire to create.
“Serving as a mentor, reference point and a source of information is very beneficial to the ministry as a whole,” he stated.
Education
Hosea holds a Master’s degree in Educational Management from Midlands State University (MSU), obtained in 2022, and an Honours degree in Upper-Primary Education from the University of Namibia (UNAM), obtained in 2016.
His responsibilities encompass planning and delivering lessons, managing the classroom, conducting evaluations and assessments, and actively involving students in extracurricular activities.
Additionally, he undertakes various other duties as assigned by his supervisors and colleagues.
“I also serve as a management member. Thus, I assist the principal with promoting a positive school climate, creating an effective learning environment, leading and managing staff, and staff development, just to mention a few,” he said.
Before he joined the public service, Hosea worked as a volunteer at a Non-Governmental Organisation, Youth 2 Youth, based in Rundu under the leadership of Sacky Fandune.
When asked about his decision to pursue a career in government, he responded, “While I cannot pinpoint a singular reason, I have always aspired to achieve stability, and contribute positively to the lives of others. Indeed, it has been my ambition to serve in the government.”
Challenges
Hosea highlighted the difficulties of teaching in overcrowded classrooms that are constrained by limited resources and inadequate infrastructure, which complicates the ability to provide additional support to students who may need it.
While these challenges can be daunting, they also present opportunities for innovation, patience and dedication, qualities that him and his colleagues strive to embody in their work. The school’s overcrowding has now led management to implement a double-session system, also known as the platoon system. Nevertheless, Hosea remains highly- motivated each morning to fulfill his teaching responsibilities, driven by the positive influence he has on the children of Namibia.
“What is most satisfying is seeing the smiles on the learners’ faces, and them performing very well in their given work amidst the challenges. Challenging the learners to take charge of their learning and seeing them transform from one level to the next is all worthwhile,” he beamed.
Work-related accomplishment
Hosea was appointed as the chairperson of NANTU, the Subject Head for Social Studies, and a member of the management team in 2019. In addition, he functions as a Regional Facilitator for Social Studies in the Kavango East Region, and is currently serving as the Acting Head of Department for Social Studies for Grades 4-7 as from 2022. Furthermore, he received recognition as the best teacher in the subject during the recent awards’ ceremony at the Sikanduko Combined School, where he earned two awards.
Misconception
On the misconceptions surrounding civil servants, Hosea said there is some truth to it.
“I will answer this as a History teacher. I agree to a certain extent; there are indeed individuals who are unproductive and inefficient. It could be that they are not self-driven, lack esteem, lack motivation, doing a job which they don’t like just because of the salary (salary collectors) or perhaps a lack of serious supervision, monitoring and support from supervisors,” he said.
“For some, it can be that they have the love and the passion to do the work, but they lack the skills and motivation. Moreover, in some cases, the individuals are not well-capacitated and have no mentors who can take them through their journey, and hold them accountable. I thus believe that mentorship, motivation, proper monitoring, supervision and continuous professional development are some of the key essentials in ensuring that public servants and public institutions become more productive and more efficient”, he added.