OKANKOLO - The director of education in the Oshikoto region, Aletta Eises, has urged pupils to prioritise their studies over social media platforms.

Eises was speaking during the launch of the 2024 academic year and the Oshikoto regional performance enhancement awards ceremony at Onguti Secondary School in the Okankolo constituency last week.

“Many learners are on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. They need to get off Facebook and face their books,” she stated.

The education director further said learners should not wait for the final examinations and should instead start preparing for them now.

“We need to start now because we only have a few months left before the final examinations,” she said.

She also urged parents to assist in fostering academic discipline among learners by establishing rules and standards at home.

Eises emphasised the theme for the year, ‘Teamwork for action towards excellence’, stressing the collaborative effort required from both schools and parents.

“Parents must help the education system so that we can achieve excellence and move forward together to raise our learners,” she said.

She further advised principals to motivate and inspire teachers and pupils rather than resorting to bullying or manipulation.

“Bullying and manipulation are not a management style, we should lead with a firm hand and a soft heart,” Eises said.

The director’s remarks followed a decline in the Oshikoto region’s ranking from fourth to seventh in Grade 12 results in 2023 and an improvement from eighth to fourth in Grade 11 results.

Okankolo Constituency councillor Hans Nambondi echoed the call for collaboration among stakeholders in the education sector to support children in achieving their aspirations.

“Teachers, parents, traditional leaders, businesspeople and political leaders, let us all team up to help our learners in achieving their dreams,” said Nambondi. - Nampa