Learners must pass even without classrooms - Nghipondoka

Education minister Anna Nghipondoka has told teachers to “think outside the box” and ensure that learners pass well because the nation will not accept existing challenges such as the lack of classrooms or overcrowding in schools as an excuse for poor results.

Namibians will always hold the education sector accountable if children do not perform well, and no excuses will be entertained to justify those results, the minister said.

Over the last four years, 79% of learners who wrote the grade 11 national examinations have not qualified to proceed to top tertiary institutions or grade 12, The Namibian reported.

For last year’s national exams, that number stood at 75%.

Nghipondoka made the remarks during a regional engagement meeting with principals and heads of departments last Friday at Rundu.

"I have been visiting schools and have observed the challenges first-hand. As a fellow teacher, I understand that challenges will always be there. However, this ministry - which is mandated to provide quality, inclusive, lifelong education - cannot be excused by anyone. People will hold us accountable if children don't perform well,” she said.

“No one will say ‘these children are failing because we do not have enough classrooms, or the classrooms are overcrowded, inspectors don't even come to schools or education officers don't have classes to go to’. People will expect teachers to teach children to pass and principals to lead their schools effectively. There are no excuses.”



Think outside the box

The minister said existing challenges present an opportunity to think creatively to achieve better results.

"Challenges should teach us to think outside the box. They should propel us to be innovative and take initiative. Challenges should bring us closer together, allowing us to analyse them and take action.”

She urged educators to identify which challenges are in their circle of control, and which are in their circle of concern. “The difference between your circle of control and your circle of concern is that when you feel in control, you are empowered to take action. When you are always concerned, you feel disempowered. Even when opportunities arise, you don't see them because you are too focused on the challenges," Nghipondoka said.

She added: "We often hear complaints like 'they are not doing this' or 'the director is not coming'. We may not always have an inspector coming to our schools, but we have our policies, curricula, syllabi and everything we need to implement. An inspector might only come and suggest changes, but a teacher does not need a principal or head of department standing in the classroom to teach”.

“I have never been inspected by a principal or department head standing before me while I teach. A principal must be a master and a jack-of-all-trades in their school," the minister, herself a former teacher, said.



‘CEO mindset’

Nghipondoka urged principals and heads of departments to adopt a ‘CEO mindset’, taking charge of their institutions with a commitment to excellence.

"You are the CEO of your school, responsible for implementing principles of good governance and ensuring educational excellence," she said, further calling for unity and proactive engagement.

"Nobody excuses us when people don't have houses, children are not passing or hospitals don't have medicine. That's why we must come together. For me, the year truly begins when I sit down and engage with our principals.”



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