By Frederick Philander OKAHANDJA The Ministry of Education is to start phasing in pre-primary school education at government schools in 2008 as part of the government’s ETSIP programme in all 13 regions of the country. This was formally announced yesterday by the Minister of Education, Nangolo Mbumba, at the first session of a special task force’s first working session to design curricula and teaching materials for the pre-primary school division Experienced female and one male primary school teacher have been selected to serve on the task force that will be working on the project for the next two years. “Last year, Cabinet decided that the function of pre-primary education should be gradually transferred from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare to my ministry. So, today the Ministry of Education is taking the first step in establishing a pre-primary education programme,” said Mburnba at NIED in Okahandja. Mbumba welcomed the task team that was selected to do the work under the leadership of an education officer, Gert Fredericks. “Be aware of the fact that you will have crucial responsibilities in compiling a curriculum and define standards that will make of it a quality learning programme. It is also expected from you to train care-givers and identify sites where pre-primary education could be offered next year. “We should be able to start the programme at a limited number of schools and not at all 1 045 government primary schools,” said Mbumba, who mentioned that the most disadvantaged schools in each region would be given preference. According to the minister, disadvantaged schools have been decided upon to give such learners a better chance at succeeding in education. “This is a very necessary programme, if one considers that some 20% of those in Grade 1 last year were repeating their first grade in school, not only a real setback for the child concerned, but a serious waste of resources. The task team is thus creating a new opportunity for Namibian children. Take on the challenge in the interest of the nation,” the minister said. Task force members will be working in the regions and will provide information throughout the two years to the coordinator at NIED. “Every member of the task force needs to have the conviction and the inner belief that what they will be contributing towards the pre-primary school programme is in the interests of the Namibian nation. Our concern is the improvement of the quality of education in the country. Through this programme we need to create high-calibre learners that can eventually help grow the economy of the country,” said Justin Ellis, the manager of the government’s ETSIP programme. New Era has reliably learned that the Early Childhood Development project of the Windhoek City Council will work closely with the pre-primary school task force.