Juliana Sikatu
School administrative officers are the gatekeepers of the school. They are responsible for maintaining an orderly work environment which serves the school administration, teaching staff and learners.
Juliana Sikatu works at the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture as an administrative officer stationed at the Markus Ihemba Primary School situated in the Kavango East region.
The school opened its doors in 2021 after it was operating in tents under the name Rundu Rural West Primary School. It was renamed Markus Ihemba Primary School and inaugurated on 12 October 2022.
It consists of 20 classrooms from pre-primary to grade 7. It has 32 staff members, including a principal and teaching staff, two institutional workers and one administrative officer, with a total number of 895 learners.
Sikatu liaises between the staff, learners and management for any enquiries, concerns and complaints.
Her day-to-day duties include coordinating with other departments and ensuring the smooth functioning of the school, as well as keeping track of learners’ attendance and progress reports, transcripts and other documents. She is also responsible for managing and keeping track of the school’s budget, creating expense reports, and overseeing financial transactions. Responding to emails, phone calls, letters, addressing queries related to the school, and ordering and maintaining school supplies are her other duties.
“I assist my school in various administrative tasks, including managing schedules, preparing reports and assisting with daily office operations,” she narrated.
Sikatu is an administrator by profession, and holds an advanced certificate in office administration from the Rundu Vocational Training Centre. She is currently studying at the University of Namibia (Rundu campus) on distance mode.
She was born and grew up in Rundu, and matriculated at the Rundu Senior Secondary School.
Sikatu is an infant in public service, having started working for the government in 2022. Before joining the public service, she worked as an administrative officer at the Rundu Private School.
Queried why she opted to join the public service, she said working for the government had been her dream, and pointed out job security as a key pull factor.
“I am motivated by the stability, benefits and opportunities for advancement that working in the government can offer. Unlike the private sector, the government is less likely to experience layoffs. Government positions often offer more stability than private sector jobs. Government employees usually receive competitive salaries, health insurance, retirement plans and perks as well as several opportunities such as training and seminars where one can gain knowledge,” she asserted.
There is no job without challenges, and an administrative officer has a wide range of tasks to manage, from overseeing staff and students to dealing with legal issues and budget management.
“Juggling all these responsibilities while keeping everything running smoothly can be really challenging. Sometimes as an administrative officer, you are often caught in disputes between teachers, parents and learners. This involves handling difficult conversations and navigating emotional situations to find a resolution,” she noted.
Sikatu, however, said it is fulfilling to see learners achieve their goals and succeed academically and personally.
“From building strong relationships with teachers, parents and learners and implementing new initiatives or programmes that benefit the school community, to solving complex problems, making difficult decisions, and watching the school grow; this is a place where I cultivated a lot of administrative skills – a school with multi-cultural groups and teaching staff from different backgrounds,” she continued.
Asked how her expertise is beneficial to the ministry and the public service, she said her work contribution to the government helps ensure the effective delivery of services to the public – through the education ministry – and to improve the quality of education.
“Ultimately, I contribute to the development and growth of society, as well as provide guidance on curriculum development, ensuring that it aligns with the needs of learners and helping to design and implement effective teaching and learning strategies that support learners’ success.”
“I have contributed massively to effective teaching and learning by keeping the school’s administration in order, and assisting teachers to be organised and plan ahead of time before going to class. I also created a filing system that makes the work of my headmaster and the rest of the staff easier by them easily accessing any supportive documents relating to teaching and learning. I have created a bond with most of the parents, and it’s a healthy one. Mostly, it’s the respect and blessings I receive from the parents; that’s my biggest accomplishment so far,” she beamed.
Asked about the public perception that government employees are not productive enough, Sikatu had this to say: “It is unfair to generalise that all individuals working in public institutions are unproductive and inefficient. Like any other workplace, productivity and efficiency depend on various factors such as the job description and work conditions, job satisfaction, motivation and leadership. While some public institutions may struggle with productivity and efficiency, others are doing exceptional jobs. Therefore, it would be unfair to paint all public institutions with the same brush.”
On her wish list, Sikatu is planning to further her studies in order to advance her communication skills and climb the ladder to a senior position within public service.