Karas leaders worried about results

THE poor Grade 10 pass rate in the Karas Region last year has raised a warning flag about the state of education in the region among traditional and political leaders.

The leaders yesterday met top education officials to map out a way to improve their children’s academic performance.Of the 1 080 pupils who sat for the Grade 10 exams last year, only 438 were promoted to Grade 11. The leaders pledged to reactivate regional education forums, investigate the cause of the high failure rate to develop short-term and medium-term strategies and action plans, and to engage local communities. Despite expressing shock over the poor pass rate, Karas Governor Dawid Boois commended the regional education authority for the measures it had put in place to improve the region’s education standards and results. ‘It must be said that the results of 2009 are a total shock to many of us, as we are keenly aware of efforts that the Regional Directorate of Education has been putting in under the U-Oa programme, launched last year. The programme is meant to bring back education standards and achievements of the region to their former glory,’ said Boois. Boois did not say what other measures besides the U-oa programme the regional authority plans to take to improve this year’s results. Keetmanshoop’s PK De Villiers High School was the best performer of the region’s 13 secondary and junior secondary schools, with an 81,5 per cent pass rate. Karasburg Senior Secondary School took the second spot with a pass rate of 56,5 per cent, followed by Lüderitz Senior Secondary School with 53,3 per cent.Lordsville Junior Secondary School was in fourth spot with 52.6 per cent while Schmellenvile Junior Secondary School ended fifth with 50 per cent. The underperforming schools are EHW Baard Junior Secondary School, Suiderlig Secondary School, JA Nel Senior Secondary School, Ernst Jagger Junior Secondary School, St Theresa Junior Secondary School, Adam Steve Junior Secondary School and Ecumenical Community School with pass rates ranging between 1,78 and 33,3 per cent. The Ecumenical Community School recorded the lowest pass rate of 1,78 per cent. luqman@namibian.com.na