KEETMANSHOOP - The Ministry of Educations? Namib Circuit conducted a workshop brainstorming on the //Kharas Character Transformation Campaign in Lüderitz recently, as a means of working out modalities to prepare members of the youth as tomorrow’s adults.
Jan Scholtz, the chairperson of //Kharas Regional Council, said this programme would eventually be integrated in the Life Skills subject and be built on the pillars of fairness, citizenship, responsibility, integrity, care, respect and trustworthiness.
“Before rolling out the programme to the whole of the //Kharas region, pilot programmes will be carried out in the following areas: Lüderitz, Aus, Keetmanshoop and Köes,” he stated.
Citing an example that can attest to the success of this character transformation programme, Scholtz referred to the Niewoudt Primary School (South Africa) where it has been implemented.
He added that the gruesome murder of a minor boy was what brought positive change in this community’s behaviour after the programme had been implemented at the request of the principal.
As proof of the success of this programme, the following statistics speak volumes.
According to the chairperson, academic performance improved by 33 percent at the school while school problems such as bullying, dishonesty when writing exams, detention, dismissal and expulsion from school as well as missing classes reduced by an average of 34 percent.
In addition, he revealed that crime-related challenges such as theft, fraud, vandalism and alcohol-and-drug abuse also reduced significantly in this particular community after the implementation of the character change programme.
As a result of this programme, academic performance improved by 33 percent, while housebreakings went down significantly by 50 percent, bullying also shrunk by 33 percent, vandalism went down by 46 percent, missing classes reduced by 39 percent and drug abuse went down by 32 percent.
“A timetable for the implementation of the programme will be availed to the school through the office of the Namib circuit inspector, for implementation in July 2019,” Scholtz concluded.
The Character Transformation programme will be funded and offered by the Adonai Trust in coorporation with //Kharas Christ (Lüderitz).
The purpose of the character transformation programme is to fortify the lives of Namibians with consensus ethical values called the “Seven Pillars of Charcter”.
These values, which transcend divisions of race, creed, politics, gender and wealth are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, integrity, fairness, caring and citizenship.