Elizabeth Hiyolwa 

NKURENKURU – A number of unemployed teachers in the two Kavango regions have expressed dissatisfaction with the selection process for teaching positions. 
The group of teachers voiced their concern after scores of them were invited for interviews for four vacant positions on Monday in the Mpungu circuit. 

According to the chairperson of the unemployed graduate teachers, Fransiska Kahundu, 300 prospective candidates were invited for the written interview for the four positions. However, only 100 candidates attended, as many cited challenges such as transport and accommodation costs for not turning up. 
“We are actually a lot; we have a lot of graduates and the posts that are being released are few; they are calling a lot of people for interviews,”  Kahundu complained. 

Speaking on behalf of other unemployed graduates, Kahundu further suggested government do away with interviews and stick to placement of teachers to help ease the burden. 
“Maybe if they could abolish interviews and stick to placement, because we raised the complain with the minister but when the minister responded, her response was not actually satisfying because we are still doing interviews,” she added. 
Her suggestion was that placement be done at the regional level and should be done according to the year of accomplishment. 

Furthermore, the number of institutions training junior primary teachers should be reduced or they should reduce the number of intakes, looking at the fact that the demand for teachers is not high. 
Another unemployed graduate Jacobus Sinkanda dismissed allegations that they do not want to teach in remote areas, indicating that they were trained to teach all learners in all areas. 

“I’m quite sure that none of us were approached to go teach in remote areas and refused – and there is nothing like that in our line of work, as we were trained to teach every child in Namibia,” he stated. 
He also raised concern in regard to crowded classrooms, as the ratio of 35 learners per one teacher is not adhered to; one can find a class with 65 learners. 
Sinkanda indicated that teachers are available to teach and that the only thing the government needs to provide is facilities to address the issue of crowded classrooms.