Since time immemorial, teachers have been central to every person’s life, as they mould and shape individuals during the formative stages.
They spend the greatest amount of time with children – who are not theirs – and can either make or break them.
The above reality becomes weightier with life skills teachers, who, apart from having entered the noble profession, also have the additional duty of ensuring the mental wellness of learners from all walks of life.
One such teacher is Nyambe Mutelo, a motivated person, who continues to thrive in all spheres of life amidst hordes of challenges.
Wasting no time in describing himself as a God-fearing person, Mutelo, believes each individual is called for a special purpose in life within a given timeframe and with a unique contribution to a given setting – “that which brings balance to this mystery called life”.
Says Mutelo: “I love working with young people both at work and within the community, under a conviction that young people need direction and guidance when it comes to dealing with decision-making and the pressures of life”.
Mutelo has been in the teaching profession and public service for the past two decades, having started as an English teacher in 2000 at the tender age of 24 years before shifting to being a Life Skills/Guidance teacher in 2015, a position he holds to date.
He teaches at the Dawid Bezuidenhout Secondary School in Windhoek.
“I joined the public service as a teacher, straight from the Zambezi College of Education. I guess, the fact that both my parents were teachers was the root cause of me joining this profession,” says Mutelo.
Why Public Schools
“Also, knowing that each Namibian child deserves an educator despite financial and social standings, I harbour the belief that public schools, where education is free, are the best scholastic options for these individuals,” adds Mutelo, who also holds an Advanced Certificate in English teaching from South Africa’s Northwest University as well as a bachelor’s degree in communication from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).
He revealed that he is also pursuing an honours degree in communication from the same institution.
Mutelo further enthused that the public services have other benefits to an individual’s career aspirations in the form of scholarships and job security.
“Amidst the strain of Covid-19, many job sectors were badly affected, leaving households in undesirable situations, especially financially, due to job losses. The situation was, however, different for civil servants. It is, thus, safe to pronounce that there is guaranteed job security in the civil service – not forgetting the remuneration packages with all the benefits therein,” Mutelo stresses.
But like any other job environment, the teaching profession is not without challenges. In this instance, according to Mutelo, challenges emerge from disputes where misconceptions of job descriptions rear their ugly heads or when relationships with other stakeholders, such as parents and referral service providers, go sour.
“But above all, maintaining a balance in the learner’s mental health becomes my daily challenge. Not forgetting the ability to offload at every counselling session to avoid burnout, hence remain effective for the Namibian child,” Mutelo stressed.
He is further quick to add that despite the trials, the rewarding aspect of the teaching profession far outweighs the barriers.
“A number of things bring a smile to my face, such as the joy of seeing a change in a learners’ academic performance as a result of my intervention. It is such a satisfying feeling to see a learner on the edge of suicide embrace life with hope again. Also, walking in an office anywhere and being served by one of your former learners brings such a beautiful feeling. It is good to know that your efforts were not a waste of time,” Mutelo says.
Sense of Accomplishment
With many learners hailing from challenging home environments, which results in poor academic performance, Mutelo maintains that as a Life Skills teacher he has had to deal with many so-called problematic learners and misfits in a deliberate quest to stabilise and restore such learners to a good state of being – as such, allowing them to learn meaningfully.
“Many learners perceived as misfits in classrooms were transformed through my engagement with them directly or through referral, as help was found. In brief, a teacher does not only teach learners to master subject content but lays a foundation for all professions out there. I am glad to say that has been my contribution to the country thus far, as I have taught all kinds of people in life, including doctors, teachers, and others,” he said, further reliving some moments in which he encountered some of his previous learners.
“Walking on the streets of Windhoek one day, one of my learners thanked me for having made the English class fun and fulfilling as a teacher. The second one was of a learner who almost ended her life by cutting herself on both arms in an attempt to bleed to death. She later completed Grade 12, after which she came back to thank me for saving her life,” Mutelo recalled, adding that such moments are priceless and bring tears of joy and a sense of accomplishment to one’s heart.
Queried on what his view is regarding the public perception that civil servants have a bad approach towards effective service delivery, Mutelo rubbished the claim as baseless and unfair.
“That narrative must change, as the public service is not an individual person. If an individual does not perform his or her duties diligently in a given section of a given ministry, such an unfortunate reality must never be used to paint the whole public service with such. We witnessed tremendous achievements in the public service, done by an individual, department or a ministry as a whole. It is vital to mention the academic attainments in our schools resulting from teachers’ blood and sweat, which goes unappreciated, as the rest of the limelight rests on the learner and the parents; only in case of failure does the teacher becomes the lamb to the slaughterhouse,” Mutelo says.
On whether he desires to remain in the civil for as long as his faculties allow him, Mutelo maintains there is no man who does not desire growth in all spheres – and he is not an exception.
“Wherever growth presents itself – whether in the public or private service – I will be willing to embrace such an advancement. Hence, it becomes tricky to say as to how long I shall remain in the public service. I will, however, prefer the public service as we strive to change the picture of bad service delivery in government,” he says.
“As an individual, I desire to see a meaningful solution to this nightmare, called Covid-19, before the end of 2022. I also want to finish my honours degree in communication, and register for my masters as planned,” he adds.