Stepping up

Jeanette Diergaardt

Paulus Nghikembua became the new director of education for the Khomas Region on 1 May 2021. Nghikembua, who hails from Ondobe in the Ohangwena Region, previously served as deputy education director for the Otjozondjupa Region. During his tenure there, four of the region’s high schools ranked among the top ten in the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Higher Level examinations in 2019.

“Education is such a complex discipline which requires consideration of many factors if it is to remain relevant, especially in the 21st Century,” says Ngibembua.

“In terms of remaining relevant, it is important to see through previous high-level initiatives. These include the Vision 2030 plan, a year that is approaching faster than ever. Not only that, but also the Sustainable Development Goals and the Fifth National Development Plan.”

Although planning and implementing a national budget seems like a taxing job, maintaining previous policies in Khomas is what lies ahead for the new director.

Some of the other tasks that lie ahead for him are:

Compliance and interpretation of the Public Service Act, Education Act, Public Service Staff Rules and other relevant Acts and Regulations;

Responsible for managing and directing educational activities including HIV/Aids in the region;

Planning strategies and identify needs in education;

Supervising and monitoring the curriculum implementation and managing of schools and hostels;

Promoting and extending the educational services to learners with special needs and abilities;

Promoting and enhancing the major goals of MOE: access, equity, quality, efficiency, democracy and life-long learning;

Liaising with donor agencies and stakeholders;

Implementing the life-long learning educational programme;

Managing and extending library services to the communities;

Administering the budget allocated to the region, personnel administration, procurement and managing of stock and rendering of technical and support services; and

Evaluating the performance of team members.

Although this is a mouthful, Nghikembua looks forward to empowering teachers to bring back the glory days and the high regard teachers enjoyed in the 1970s and ’80s. At the same time he calls for assistance in empowering all teachers to be passionate again about what they do.

With the age of Covid-19, tech-savviness became a skill that everyone needed to be well versed in. Nghikembua wants to explore the world of technology, innovation and critical thinking and looks to spearhead the Khomas Region in that direction.

Mr. Nghikembua also played a major role in spearheading the Sport for Development Goals in the Ohangwena region. The role he played made an impact ,so-much-so that he got featured in the Sport for Development Journal in Africa, written by GIZ. During this project, Basket4Life, Volleyball4Life and Football4Life was developed.

According to Nghikembua, within the parameters of the ministerial strategic planning 3 important pillars have been identified. These are, quality, equity, efficiency and effectiveness. Of these 3 pillars a winning team, Team Khomas, will emerge.

FIVE FACTS

1. Went to Mweshipandeka High School

2. Studied at the University of Namibia

3. Studied to become a teacher.

4. Was involved in the establishment of various schools.

5. Spearheaded the Sport for Development goals in Ohangwena Region.

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