Obedy Mabuta Nsundano is a public school teacher who said is not deterred by the negative perception of teaching and learning in under-resourced rural schools. 

The teacher at the Rudolf Ngondo Primary School in the Kavango East rgion believes that a positive teaching approach can contribute to the wellbeing of learners despite the challenges they may be facing.

He said rural life and rural teaching offer great many benefits one can never find in big cities, including a strong sense of community.

Nsundano believes that there is a strong perception of harsh working conditions in rural areas, making it extremely difficult to attract experienced teachers and staff.

According to Nsundano, for Namibia to bridge the gap between rural schools and urban schools’ performance, there is a need to balance the quality of teachers in those schools.

“Indeed hiring, in general, is tougher in rural areas, for fields extending far beyond education. It is also a fact that rural life isn’t for everyone, and a life that’s simpler can seem to some people like a life that’s “less than”. 

Many services such as healthcare can be harder to obtain, and there may be fewer cultural attractions compared to big cities - the list of reasons why teachers may be dissuaded from applying for educational jobs in rural areas can be long but what can be done to attract more qualified teachers to the grassroots schools?” Nsundano questioned.

“There is a lot of talent in rural areas that need motivation and quality education and it should be the teachers who choose rural over urban employment,” he said.

Nsundano said, while there are other challenges facing the teachers in rural areas such as quality of accommodation, classroom facilities, and school resources, the greatest problem facing rural schools is attracting and retaining high quality teachers.

Nsundano teaches computer literacy and social studies at Rudolf Ngondo, a school in the Rundu circuit, Kavango East region.

The rural school has a population of 1 400 learners and he said it was by choice to work there as he wanted to plough back the skills he gained at the university back into his community.

Nsundano is a highly qualified teacher, with a Master’s Degree in Education Management from the University of Mainland State and an Honour’s Degree in Upper Primary Education from the University of Namibia Rundu Campus obtained in 2017.

Why public service?

Nsundano joined the public service soon after graduating from the University of Namibia.

Like any teacher, Nsundano is responsible for teaching, and facilitating learning by assessing the learner’s progress through tests, homework, and other schoolwork as assigned to them. He guides and motivates them to excel in their schoolwork.

Besides that, Nsundano is also responsible for afterschool studies and student engagements that focus on improving the academic abilities of children in various subjects.

Challenges

According to Nsundano, the major challenges facing teachers and learners are that rural schools lack basic amenities, physical resources, and teaching aids.

“Some teachers are so desperate for materials that they find themselves spending their own money to get pencils, paper, and art supplies for students. The lack of resources may also apply to textbooks. Some schools use textbooks that are years or even decades old, and teachers must find ways to supplement those books with other news materials to keep students informed,” he said.

Nsundano also points out the language of instruction as most of the learners struggle to master English.  

Besides that, he also points out absenteeism and truancy as other challenges that the schools should address by engaging the parents. 

He, however, said with the limited resources, it is crucial to satisfy learners by performing exceptionally well. 

“Nothing makes a teacher prouder than seeing their students succeed, knowing they have helped give kids the skills they need for the future. You’ll find that many teachers relish in their teaching careers due to the rewarding aspects of the job,” Nsundano said.

Nsundano believes that regardless of negative perceptions of teaching and learning in under resourced rural schools, a positive teaching approach can contribute to the wellbeing of learners despite the challenges they may be facing.

Misconception

When asked about his views on the public perception that public servants are inefficient, Nsundano had this to say “to a certain extent not everyone who is a teacher is productive. Reasons may vary from one person to another, some could be because of a lack of understanding of their job description, not just being the team leader. 

“Workshops are the answers to some of these challenges as they will guide them on how to go about their weaknesses and how to turn those weaknesses into success to achieve their organisation’s objectives,” he said.