Albertina Nakale
Maihapa Ndjavera
The ministry of education has promised targeted immediate intervention strategies following the dismal outcome of the 2022 grade 11 and Advanced Subsidiary (AS) results.
These strategies will be carried out at all levels, especially at regional offices and schools with support and monitoring, and evaluation from the head office.
The grade 11 (Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary) and AS levels (formerly grade 12) results show that only 8 133 pupils or 24% qualified for tertiary education from the 38 019 candidates who sat for the 2022 national exams.
Addressing staff members last week, education minister Anna Nghipondoka said the targeted intervention strategies will be achieved with the minimum resources at hand.
She said some of these interventions include efforts toward internal efficiency.
“Meaning, we need to do all we can to ensure a balance between the inputs from the fiscus and the outputs in terms of achieving all our key performance indicators. More innovation and initiative will facilitate doing more with less,” Nghipondoka noted.
Other strategies, she mentioned, include a call for more adherence to the principles of good governance which are accountability (sense of ownership), ethics (work ethics), transparency, integrity, rule of law, efficiency, participation, consensus-oriented, fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Nghipondoka stated that being the most decentralised sector requires proper coordination of services between the head office with the regional education directorates.
“This includes improved speedy in the provision of resources, improved horizontal and vertical transformation of information, and more time on task.”
Also aiming to see improved educational results, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila stated that government continues to prioritise education, with the sector taking up the largest chunk of the national budget.
Addressing delegates at the Ritja Career Fair in Gobabis on Friday, she said the government is committed to implementing the necessary reforms that are aimed at improving educational outcomes. “This year’s budget will seek to actualise the lead reforms in education, taking into consideration the current challenges that have resulted in poor school examination results,” she told delegates.
Speaking at the Ritja Career Fair in Leonardville on Thursday former Omaheke education director Pecka Semba, who is now the substantive chief regional officer at the Omaheke regional council, pointed out the lack of discipline amongst pupils which continue to cost the education sector in the region.
Semba stated that such factors have led to the consistently weak performance of the region in the 2022 results.
Out of the best top-performing regions, the Omaheke region was ranked number 11 for the 2022 grade 11 results.
With many blaming the reformed curriculum that was implemented in 2021 for the high failure rate of candidates, Semba said there is nothing wrong with the Namibian education system; “it only requires sacrifice.”
“Learners did not do well. There is nothing wrong with the education system. The discipline of our learners remains worrisome. We need to bring our learners to standard first before we see fruitful results. Yes, the curriculum is tough, but it is possible; it only needs efforts and sacrifice from all stakeholders,” he said. Semba scolded learners present at the career fair, saying: “you cannot go study in a bar.”
According to him, the region has a big number of qualified teachers, so it remains imperative to see where the region went wrong. – anakale@nepc.com.na