Rising levels of alcoholism, ill-discipline and the lack of a clear moral compass among teachers in the Omaheke region were highlighted as some of the major challenges hindering delivery of quality and impactful education in the region.
Among a raft of issues raised during yesterday’s final leg of the two-day education summit at Gobabis were concerns over the region’s educators that need to be urgently addressed.
Gift Katuuo, the chairperson of the Epako Secondary School board, was among the key speakers who spoke at length on how the issue of alcohol abuse among teachers is affecting the region’s overall performance at all levels of education.
“Just start with the dress code of our teachers. One really wonders if these are teachers who should serve as role models, or just ordinary people from the streets. The way our teachers dress and behave does not inspire confidence in our learners, and that is a big concern that must be addressed. It’s not just the unappealing dress codes, even their hairstyles are not those of people entrusted with the sacred duty of nurturing and moulding this country’s future leaders,” he said.
The respected community leader in the Omaheke region, who is passionate about education and the wellbeing of the region’s learners, said the growing trend of teachers consuming alcohol during school hours and at shebeens that are near schools is worrying.
“How can a teacher leave the schoolyard, walk across the road to a nearby shebeen, and start drinking there? It shows how ill-disciplined our teachers are, because how will your learners respect you the next morning if you are drinking in front of them? So, to be honest, we are sitting with a huge problem of alcoholism and ill-discipline among our teachers. It is no secret, we all know who they are, and they know who we are talking about. At Epako Secondary School, we have dealt with that issue, and now our teachers are properly dressed and look like teachers, as expected of them,” he said.
Education inspector Ismael Kazondanga, who was one of the panellists during the summit, admitted that alcoholism and ill-discipline is rife among teachers in Omaheke, but advised that schools, through their boards, are allowed and empowered to act against such teachers.
“Our policies are very clear, and speak to some of these issues regarding the behaviour of teachers. In fact, through these policies, schools and their principals are empowered to monitor the behaviour of teachers beyond the school walls, and act accordingly. If a teacher continues to consume alcohol in front of the learners, even if it is in his personal space, the principals are still empowered to act against such teachers. A teacher’s good behaviour does not only start and stop in the school boundaries, being a teacher is a fulltime and life-long discipline,” said Kazondanga.
The two-day summit, which ended yesterday, was attended by senior officials and experts from the region and country’s education sector, community members and various key stakeholders.
The gathering used the two days to assess the current status of education in the region, and compare and analyse performance indicators and institutional challenges.
The summit also looked at various ways to strengthen collaboration among schools, vocational institutions, universities and communities to create a more integrated education system.