OMUTHIYA -The low-learner intake to secondary level education as opposed to higher enrolment of Grade 1, has become a cause of concern for the directorate of education in Oshikoto thus prompting a probe to determine the basis of variance.
The director of education Aletta Eises hinted to launch an investigation to find out what are the underlying causes resulting in a reduced enrolment at junior phase.
Eises said this when speaking about access to education during a sensitisation meeting with over 450 staff members held at Oniipa on Friday
“We should strive for a combination of access which should lead to success. At Grade 1 level, we have massive intake but the number of learners entering senior secondary phase are lesser than that of entry grade. Therefore, should be investigated, so we can find out what is happening to our learners who started grade one. We cannot go on business as usual, thus we should try finding out whether this is due to massive dropouts and learner pregnancies,” stated education director Aletta Eises.
The purpose of the conference was to sensitise the teachers through encouraging and inspiring them to give their best during this last quarter.
“This is the last trimester of the school year and that it is also a very strenuous and challenging trimester as it includes doing comprehensive revision, re-emphasizing critical areas, conducting weekend and afternoon classes, preparing for external, semi-external and school based examination,” she implored.
She advised the staff to take this opportunity of skills development, team-building and continuous professional development on circuit level seriously and implement the information they gained in their classrooms.
She also stated the attendees should interrogate the broader teaching and learning environment with the aim of finding and sharing best practices for improved results and preparing the Namibian child not only for passing their examinations but for the future.
“As teachers you should be ahead of time as education is not static but constantly changing and that teachers should be able to move with the change. Be lifelong learners, being inquisitive and read to be relevant and current in the developing educational landscape, because quality of teaching and learner success can only be enhanced through continued acquisition of new knowledge, solutions, skills and adoption of appropriate teacher attitude,” exhorted Eises.
“Without education there will be no nation let us invest properly in the leaders of today and tomorrow,” she remarked.