Ministry of Education responds

THE Ministry of Education has taken time out to respond to a number of the complaints about the Education Sector, which have been SMSed to The Namibian: CAN the Public Relations officer of education respond to the nation why they do not want to combine the grade 12 certificates? Many grade 12 graduates who have sat for an exam five times are walking around with five certificates.

I suggest that the ministry establish a programme to combine a candidate’s certificate who wish to do so… – Up until this year (2007) Grade 12 certificates were being provided by Cambridge International Examination (CIE) body and it is within their policy not to combine certificates. This however is due to change with the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC).As from 2008, candidates will be awarded a group certificate provided they meet the minimum requirement applicable to the group award.The requirements are not yet finalised.Grade 12 candidates who write their exams more than once will only qualify to get a group certificate provided they meet the requirements within 3 years.After three years the candidate will not qualify to obtain a group certificate even it they attain the requirements.I HOPE the Ministry of Education is aware that teachers applying for Head of Department positions are made to sit for tests before interviews.The problem is that this is done in the Oshigambo Circuit and was done quite recently at Onamulunga combined School.I want the Ministry of Education and the Public Service Commission to tell us if this is the latest criteria? We know instances where people are promoted because they are known by the inspector and committee conducting the interviews.- Teachers applying for Heads of Department (HOD) positions are suppose to sit for tests before interviews.This method is used as a short-listing criterion for an interview and this method is also used is used to test the writing skills of teachers.This was implemented with the inception of the Public Service Commission, although certain regions and schools only implemented the method recently.In the case of teachers being promoted because they are known by inspectors and the committee conducting interviews, I urge anyone with this particular information to report these incidences the Ministry of Education so that proper action is taken.HON.Minister of Education, 95% of teachers who graduated last year and this year are unemployed.They have been applying to both rural and urban schools but without success.Being a teacher has become a worthless status because teacher graduates remain on the streets for more than two years especially in the north.- Students graduating from tertiary institutions in various fields of studies might find that it is quite competitive to enter the employment sector, it is not only those graduating as teachers.The Ministry of Education has however put in efforts to get graduate teachers employment.There was an exercise done in all 13 regions to locate unemployed qualified teachers with their field of specialisation in order to request regional education offices to use the list of names to consider them first and employ them when there are vacancies in their regions.Regional offices are still using these lists.Yours in Education Public Relations OfficeThis however is due to change with the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC).As from 2008, candidates will be awarded a group certificate provided they meet the minimum requirement applicable to the group award.The requirements are not yet finalised.Grade 12 candidates who write their exams more than once will only qualify to get a group certificate provided they meet the requirements within 3 years.After three years the candidate will not qualify to obtain a group certificate even it they attain the requirements.I HOPE the Ministry of Education is aware that teachers applying for Head of Department positions are made to sit for tests before interviews.The problem is that this is done in the Oshigambo Circuit and was done quite recently at Onamulunga combined School.I want the Ministry of Education and the Public Service Commission to tell us if this is the latest criteria? We know instances where people are promoted because they are known by the inspector and committee conducting the interviews.- Teachers applying for Heads of Department (HOD) positions are suppose to sit for tests before interviews.This method is used as a short-listing criterion for an interview and this method is also used is used to test the writing skills of teachers.This was implemented with the inception of the Public Service Commission, although certain regions and schools only implemented the method recently.In the case of teachers being promoted because they are known by inspectors and the committee conducting interviews, I urge anyone with this particular information to report these incidences the Ministry of Education so that proper action is taken.HON.Minister of Education, 95% of teachers who graduated last year and this year are unemployed.They have been applying to both rural and urban schools but without success.Being a teacher has become a worthless status because teacher graduates remain on the streets for more than two years especially in the north.- Students graduating from tertiary institutions in various fields of studies might find that it is quite competitive to enter the employment sector, it is not only those graduating as teachers.The Ministry of Education has however put in efforts to get graduate teachers employment.There was an exercise done in all 13 regions to locate unemployed qualified teachers with their field of specialisation in order to request regional education offices to use the list of names to consider them first and employ them when there are vacancies in their regions.Regional offices are still using these lists. Yours in Education Public Relations Office