MARIENTAL– The poor performance among Grade 10 pupils is cause for concern, Prime Minister Hage Geingob said yesterday at the education conference in Hardap Region.
Geingob said he was deepbly concerned about the fact that too many learners are still failing Grade 10 examinations. “The reality in today’s world is that a young woman or man who did not complete high school is disadvantaged,“ said Geingob.
The first ever Hardap Education Conference in Mariental started yesterday and will end on Saturday. The conference is is attended by regional directors of education, politicians, traditional leaders, religious leaders and parents. The theme for the conference is “Striving for Grade 10 Academic Excellence”.
Geingob said the failure rate for Grade 10 is one of the reasons the country is unable to attract greenfield investments and has slipped down the world Economic Forum’s Competiveness rankings from four to seven.
“Our challenges are a great deal more than those faced by the developed countries because we not only have to move forward but also to make up for the gap that already exists. Resources are limited; there are very few teachers with science and technology education – family circumstances do not always allow for pro-active involvement in children’s education,” he said.
Geingob said that these are the obstacles that need to be overcome for the sake of the new generation of workers and leaders, entrepreneurs and artists, teachers and engineers, doctors and technicians.
“Education is the cornerstone for skills development and a priority for economic growth,” he stressed.
“It is the improvement of the living standard of our nation’s citizens,” he added.
Furthermore the prime minister said education is more than reading, writing and arithmetic. It is one of the most important investments a country can make in its people and its future – that why it is critical in reducing poverty and inequality.
“Education is the greatest equaliser, the impact of the investment in education is profound,“ he emphasised.
Geingob said that education results in raising incomes, improving health, promoting gender equality, mitigating climate change and reducing poverty and also plays a crucial role in skills development.
“We are faced with challenges of setting priorities and goals at all levels of academia that will enable us to close the gap,“ he said.
“Globalisation and rapid technological advancement are having dramatic effects on the way we communicate and conduct business as well as in our personal lives. Therefore the education that we provide should help increase students’ understanding of the world around them,” he added.
“Research shows that student motivation and attitude towards school are closely linked to student teacher relationships,” said Geingob.
He told the gathering that enthusiastic teachers are particularly good at creating beneficial relations withstudent. “Students are likely to build stronger relations with teachers who are friendly and supportive and will show interest in courses taught by these teachers,” said Geingob.
Story by Kuzeeko Tjitemisa