Bulk of education vote goes to ETSIP

TEACHING children in their home language during the first three school years is of the utmost importance and requires greater attention, a Member of Parliament emphasised during the debate on the budget vote for education last Friday.

Swapo backbencher Hansina Christian told the House that children needed to be taught in their mother tongue to lay a foundation for their education and it would improve Grade 10 results in long run. Although the Namibian Government has this policy, it cannot always be implemented at each State school because teachers are not proficient in all the indigenous languages.Christian further said that a shortage of textbooks was still a problem in southern Namibia.”I know of altogether 1 500 learners in the Karas Region who have to share 200 textbooks,” she added.She urged the Ministry to expand its information technology programmes to rural areas.”Children in village schools also need to learn how to work with computers, they later go to schools in large towns and when they arrive there they don’t know computers.”Christian further noted that teacher absenteeism was becoming a huge problem in the South.When teachers go on sick leave there is no one to teach their classes, she said.”Schools need relief teachers,” Christian requested.The bulk of the N$3,69 billion allocated the Ministry goes to the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP), which will receive N$3,03 billion or 82 per cent of the Ministry’s allocation.ETSIP is a major quality reform programme for schools, teachers and tertiary institutions.The DTA’s Philemon Moongo said more classrooms were needed in northern Namibia, although he appreciated the recent efforts of the Ministry to build more.”I want to request the Ministry to organise its administration in such a way so that young teachers entering the profession at State schools do not have to wait three to four months for their first salary payout.”In his response, Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba said schools did not have to ask the Ministry for permission to get relief teachers.”They can hire retired teachers themselves, it is the responsibility of principals.”Although the Namibian Government has this policy, it cannot always be implemented at each State school because teachers are not proficient in all the indigenous languages.Christian further said that a shortage of textbooks was still a problem in southern Namibia.”I know of altogether 1 500 learners in the Karas Region who have to share 200 textbooks,” she added.She urged the Ministry to expand its information technology programmes to rural areas.”Children in village schools also need to learn how to work with computers, they later go to schools in large towns and when they arrive there they don’t know computers.”Christian further noted that teacher absenteeism was becoming a huge problem in the South.When teachers go on sick leave there is no one to teach their classes, she said.”Schools need relief teachers,” Christian requested.The bulk of the N$3,69 billion allocated the Ministry goes to the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP), which will receive N$3,03 billion or 82 per cent of the Ministry’s allocation.ETSIP is a major quality reform programme for schools, teachers and tertiary institutions.The DTA’s Philemon Moongo said more classrooms were needed in northern Namibia, although he appreciated the recent efforts of the Ministry to build more.”I want to request the Ministry to organise its administration in such a way so that young teachers entering the profession at State schools do not have to wait three to four months for their first salary payout.”In his response, Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba said schools did not have to ask the Ministry for permission to get relief teachers.”They can hire retired teachers themselves, it is the responsibility of principals.”