• TAATI NIILENGEERONGO education director John Awaseb is delighted with the region’s performance in last year’s Grade 12 examinations.
Awaseb said Erongo belongs at the top and that they needed to reclaim the position. “We will ensure that we keep that position forever. At the same time, we will work hard to do the same in Grade 10,” Awaseb said.
Awaseb is proud that three private schools and two state schools – Duneside Private School, Karibib Private
School,Walvis Bay Private High School, Namib High School and Kuisebmond Secondary School – were among the top 20 best-performing schools in the country.
Kuisebmond Secondary School is the talk of the region after taking a giant leap from position 51 to 17. The top-performing HIGCSE student, Renate Potgieter, is from Walvis Bay Private High School.
Awaseb attributed the achievements on new strategies the education sector in Erongo embarked on last year.
“We usually have challenges dealing with overcrowded classrooms, a lack of well-qualified teachers, especially in maths and accounting, unruly children, and a lack of community support,” he said.
He said the teachers started last year with a lot of motivation and that there were regular meetings held with principals and teachers.
“We worked hard at changing the mindsets of principals, teachers and learners themselves. Because principals have a bit more time on their hands, they were asked to regularly visit classrooms, and monitor the way the learners are taught.
“Some schools organised afternoon classes for Grade 12 learners, and parents were requested not to prevent learners from attending these classes, except for important reasons. They were closely monitored by teachers, who volunteered their time freely every afternoon.
“All of this resulted in this wonderful achievement, and I want to thank the principals and their staff for their great commitment. We have once again shown that Erongo is indeed the region of excellence,” he beamed.
Awaseb is, however, a bit concerned about Grade 10 performances in the region, but noted that new strategies are going to be implemented for this grade as well.
He said he had already started engaging with his management to establish where the problem lies and work out new ways of improving Grade 10 results in the region.
Awaseb noted that while teachers are willing, they cannot continue to do it alone, or with the support of only a few parents.
“Schools are already offered for free. For that one year only, try to invest in extra education for your children. Grade 10 and Grade 12 are important years for your children”, he added. According to Awaseb, children have become so out of control that they rule over their parents, while parents have to be the ones to take charge. This is evident in that learners are often seen on the streets late at night, while they have to be home studying.
Despite the concerns about Grade 10 learners, the Duinesig Combined School at Wavis Bay has once again proven hard work and dedication help, as four of its learners were in the top ten best performers in the region this year, with Tuilika Andreas being the top achiever.
