2008-06-09Staff Report 2 "By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK The success of any education system largely depends on its teachers who are the catalysts of the learning process on which an education system rests, This is the educational view of the principal of the Dr Frans Aupa Indongo Primary School in the informal settlement of Babilon, Paul Lewin. He was on Thursday speaking at the launch of the cornerstone-laying ceremony of a school hall to be erected at a cost of N$1,2 million. The minister of Education, Nangolo Mbumba and many invited stakeholders in education attended the event on the school grounds. ""Teachers are crucial in the strategy to achieve a more effective and responsive education system. They are the ones that should help students and learners to develop confidence in themselves and should therefore intervene and be more pro-active in the classroom to guarantee individual learners develop to their full potential,"" Lewin said. According to him, there is no more time to play the blame game in education. ""Something drastically needs to be done in order to give people hope in the education system of which quality education should remain part of our business. The construction of the school's multi-purpose hall is a step in the direction of empowering people and to contribute towards the development of our country in a small way,"" he said. The primary school is situated in the heart of the informal settlement with many social and economic problems and challenges. ""We are confident that nothing is impossible for as long as people are united and committed to do the best they can under all circumstances. The notion that the school is situated in Katutura and that the staff should think small holds no water because we think big,"" he said of the erection of the multi-purpose hall forming part of the school's second five-year plan. The building is to accommodate a computer centre, an arts centre and rooms to help learners with emotional problems. ""Despite circumstances beyond our control we will strive to become a school of excellence and a beacon of hope to those less-privileged people in our society. At the same time more is expected from principals and teachers since the public's expectations to deliver quality education is increasing. We simply have to change the way we see schools and begin to run them like businesses in which results and accountability become the core issues of our time,"" he concluded. " 2008-06-09Staff Report 2
