Many of us, as a result of the hustles and bustles of life, can attest to the fact that we do not spend as much time with our children as we would have loved to. But thanks to our educational systems, we now have willing, capable and trained keepers who are employed to help mould our sprogs into formidable adults while we are toiling away at our respective workplaces.
One such person is Elias Tuhafeni Jafet, a principal at the Oshimwaku Combined School in the Ohangwena region.
By and large, the role of a school principal is to provide leadership, direction and coordination within the school, with their primary focus on developing and maintaining effective educational programs within the institution and promoting the improvement of teaching and learning in their region.
But in essence, this role does not end there, as principals in smaller communities are expected to be yardsticks on which the moral fabric of their communities is measured. Such is the case with Jafet, professedly, it is the best part of the job.
“The fact that I have produced so many learners that are now productive citizens of this country and see them contributing to the development of the land in different sectors is also satisfying,” Jafet told New Era this week.
He further revealed that besides being a principal, he also does community engagements, where he assists in numerous ways where possible.
“For instance, some parents turn to me for assistance and guidance – and for me, being bestowed with that level of trust by the community is the most rewarding,” Jafet says.
It is partly because of this good relationship between him and the community that his school has been one of the best performers in the Junior Secondary Certificate level (Grade 10) before the ceasing of this grade at the school.
“This is also an achievement that one needs to be proud of,” Jafet adds.
Since he took over as principal of Oshimwaku Combined School, according to Jafet, there have been notable differences in terms of learner performances, leading to the school landing in second place as the best performer in the Endola circuit.
Needless to say, as a result, the school managed to attract the best young teachers in the region.
Away from the job, being a teacher or principal has its perks, says Jafet.
He highlights the fact that professionals in this field have enough holidays in addition to not working during weekends, which allows them enough time to pursue other areas of interest, such as farming and other agriculture-related activities.
Joining civil service
Born in Onandova and raised in Onhuno, Jafet currently lives in Helao Nafidi in Ohangwena region with my wife and three daughters.
He joined the public service in 2003 after obtaining a degree in Education from the University of Namibia.
He then started teaching at Ponhofi Secondary School, offering Geography and development studies.
In 2009, he said, he moved to Eengedjo Secondary school, where he served as Head of Department (HoD) for the social sciences. He then moved to Oshimwaku Combined school to take up his current role.
“Like any other principal, I am managing and leading the school. Besides that, I am also a teacher, offering social studies to grades 7 and Geography to grades 8 and 9. I specialise in geography,” Jafet maintained, adding that this role does not come without its share of challenges.
“The most challenging is the efforts we have to put in (input) to make sure learners understand the subjects – and at the end, one still gets poor output from the learners,” he stressed.
Why join government?
Said Jafet: “After completing his tertiary education, like anybody else, my dream was to get a job in the area of my expertise. Of course, teaching jobs were also available in the private sector; however, the government had a huge market for newly graduated teachers and the reward was attractive in comparison to the private sector”.
He further saw this move as an opportunity to plough back, since government created a conducive environment for those in his generation to further their studies.
On the public misconception about government employees being unproductive, Jafet maintained “there are teachers who are giving their best and are committed to the course. Similarly, there are also teachers who are not really giving their best – and just like in the private sector, the lazy ones sometimes overshadow the productive ones”.
Be that as it may, Jafet is planning to work as a public servant for a while, even though he might not turn down a good offer from them the private sector.
“On my wish list: I want to see Namibian children getting the best education. I also harbour aspirations of becoming a farmer in the near future,” Jafet concluded.