2006-06-09Staff Report 2 "By Michael Liswaniso OPUWO The newly appointed school principal of Mureti Senior Secondary School in Opuwo, the capital of the Kunene Region, Ambrosius Tjizu, has vowed to turn things around at the already troubled school by first improving its pass-rate. In an interview with a New Era, the new principal said he would work tirelessly to ensure that the pass-rate improves this year to give a positive image to the school. He said that because he was still new at the school, he still needed some time to analyse the whole situation and then implement new strategies that would turn things around. ""I only started this second trimester on May 16. I will try my best to ensure that there is understanding between learners, teachers and the parents because this is the only way that I believe we will be able to push the pass-rate up. And, of course, with the understanding of the whole learning environment and the right strategies in place"", he added. He said that to attain Vision 2030 and the Second National Development Programme (NDP2), the time to act was now - to ensure that no time is lost in tackling the development roadmap. He added that Mureti, being the only senior secondary school in the town, is 31 years old and thus should lead by example so that other schools can emulate it. ""What example is the school going to display to other junior schools if it is the one that has a high failure rate?"" he pointed out. Asked about the challenges he foresees at the school, Tjizu replied that the high failure rate was one of them, as well as the community and science education needs. At present, Mureti does not offer fully-fledged science subjects because of a lack of equipment and human resources. ""There is a need for people who are fully trained in science-related fields."" With a total of 35 Grade 10 learners that sat for their final year external examinations last year, only 14 managed to pass to Grade 11 while for Grade 12, out of a number of 153 learners, not more than five managed to make it to senior formal colleges and universities. It is against this background that the new school head wants to turn things around. The school caters for pupils from Grades 8 to 12, and has a total number of 118 Grade 10 learners and 27 Grade 12 learners who are expected to sit for their final year external examinations in November. The total enrolment at the school is 350 with 250 who are housed in the school's hostel. Tjizu has 25 years experience in the teaching profession and holds a bachelors degree in education. He takes over from Daniel Humbu." 2006-06-09Staff Report 2
