Principals in leadership training

By: CARMEN HONEY

A N$1,5 million donation from Old Mutual has made it possible to launch a programme to provide leadership training to 150 Namibian school principals over the next three years.

Brainchild of former businessman Dawie Fourie, who is the founder

of the African Leadership Institute, which is conducting the

training, the Old Mutual Principals' Academy has just completed the

first week for 21 principals from all 13 regions.

Two further weeks of training will follow.

 

Speaking at the official launch last week at Rock Lodge outside

Okahandja, where the training is taking place, Education Minister

Nangolo Mbumba said he was pleased to see the private sector and

other educational stakeholders meeting the Government halfway to

address shortcomings in the education sector.

 

Well-managed schools, he said, produced the quality pupils

Namibia needed to meet Vision 2030.

 

He also noted the examples of schools with limited teaching and

learning resources, but with exemplary leadership and determined

teachers and pupils, who had much better pass rates than

better-equipped schools.

 

He called on principals to manage teacher absenteeism, "which is

a problem", manage the school development funds and other finances,

mobilise former pupils and the community to further develop the

schools, ensure that staff and teachers are familiar with key

policy issues, guide and advise the school boards to administer the

schools and encourage teachers, staff members and students'

representative councils to become involved in managing the

schools.

 

"Truly we need school principals who are leaders we can trust in

future and in the future of our children," he added.

 

Handing over the first N$500 000 donation for the Principals'

Academy, Old Mutual's chief executive officer for marketing,

Raimund Snyders, said the programme was highly interactive,

challenging participants to move past their comfort zones and to

grow to lead their schools more effectively.

 

A committee set up to facilitate the principals' training

includes Bertus Gous, former Windhoek High School principal, Dennis

Fredericks, principal of Dawid Bezuidenhout High School in

Khomasdal, Deon Nashenda, principal of St Joseph's Secondary

School, Dawie Fourie, Iain Eramus, also from the institute, and

Raimund Snyders of Old Mutual.

 

Two further weeks of training will follow.Speaking at the official

launch last week at Rock Lodge outside Okahandja, where the

training is taking place, Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba said he

was pleased to see the private sector and other educational

stakeholders meeting the Government halfway to address shortcomings

in the education sector.Well-managed schools, he said, produced the

quality pupils Namibia needed to meet Vision 2030.He also noted the

examples of schools with limited teaching and learning resources,

but with exemplary leadership and determined teachers and pupils,

who had much better pass rates than better-equipped schools.He

called on principals to manage teacher absenteeism, "which is a

problem", manage the school development funds and other finances,

mobilise former pupils and the community to further develop the

schools, ensure that staff and teachers are familiar with key

policy issues, guide and advise the school boards to administer the

schools and encourage teachers, staff members and students'

representative councils to become involved in managing the

schools."Truly we need school principals who are leaders we can

trust in future and in the future of our children," he

added.Handing over the first N$500 000 donation for the Principals'

Academy, Old Mutual's chief executive officer for marketing,

Raimund Snyders, said the programme was highly interactive,

challenging participants to move past their comfort zones and to

grow to lead their schools more effectively.A committee set up to

facilitate the principals' training includes Bertus Gous, former

Windhoek High School principal, Dennis Fredericks, principal of

Dawid Bezuidenhout High School in Khomasdal, Deon Nashenda,

principal of St Joseph's Secondary School, Dawie Fourie, Iain

Eramus, also from the institute, and Raimund Snyders of Old Mutual.

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