Education And Money

THE huge budget allocation to the Ministry of Education does not guarantee or represent quality education in Namibia.

Therefore I’m not impressed with the N$4,7 million allocation. The Ministry has for many years now received a very big chunk from the Government coffers but no remarkable achievement has been attained.Many of our Namibian rural schools are experiencing a serious shortage of adequate infrastructure, teaching and learning resources, proper housing and had completely failed to attract qualified and competent teachers in rural areas.Now one would ask what the money for the Ministry was spent on? There’s no significant improvement in the pass rate since in all those years.Pupils are still failing despite good allocations to the Ministry.Planning is taking place but it takes too long to implement this ministerial policy.The issue of grade 10 failure to repeat needs a serious review as it will lead or contribute to a higher failure rate in the country.Judging this time where we are, it’s too late to admit these learners back in the system and expect them to finish the syllabus within a shortest time of one term (term 2) as it supposed to be.Obviously these pupils will not be ready for November/December examination.Never mind that Government will spend about N$340 million for last year’s grade 10 failures to return to the formal classroom.What matters is whether the necessary logistics are already in place? Does all information and clear directives reach all schools? Are all involved partners aware if where and how to implement all government directives concerning grade 10 failures? Last but not least does the government and Ministry in question accept all the blame for learners failure at the end of the year? I’m appealing for actions to be louder than words, for us to reap good result at the end of the year, otherwise education will be a crisis againr.Angeles K Nangolo OhangwenaThe Ministry has for many years now received a very big chunk from the Government coffers but no remarkable achievement has been attained.Many of our Namibian rural schools are experiencing a serious shortage of adequate infrastructure, teaching and learning resources, proper housing and had completely failed to attract qualified and competent teachers in rural areas.Now one would ask what the money for the Ministry was spent on? There’s no significant improvement in the pass rate since in all those years.Pupils are still failing despite good allocations to the Ministry.Planning is taking place but it takes too long to implement this ministerial policy.The issue of grade 10 failure to repeat needs a serious review as it will lead or contribute to a higher failure rate in the country.Judging this time where we are, it’s too late to admit these learners back in the system and expect them to finish the syllabus within a shortest time of one term (term 2) as it supposed to be.Obviously these pupils will not be ready for November/December examination.Never mind that Government will spend about N$340 million for last year’s grade 10 failures to return to the formal classroom.What matters is whether the necessary logistics are already in place? Does all information and clear directives reach all schools? Are all involved partners aware if where and how to implement all government directives concerning grade 10 failures? Last but not least does the government and Ministry in question accept all the blame for learners failure at the end of the year? I’m appealing for actions to be louder than words, for us to reap good result at the end of the year, otherwise education will be a crisis againr.Angeles K Nangolo Ohangwena