THE northern regional electricity distributor (NoRED) has stopped sponsoring prizes for top-performing pupils.
Nored had been investing N$40 000 per region annually for the past three years.
This commitment towards the regional academic performance prizes and awards has been stopped due to the phasing out of the national junior secondary certificate.
The electricity distributor has been sponsoring performance prizes and awards in eight regional education directorates, however, it has decided to discontinue the practice. This was announced by the acting chief executive officer of NoRED, Toivo Shovaleka, during the sponsorship awards ceremony of the regional education directorates held at Ondangwa yesterday.
“Despite the change in curriculum, NoRED remains committed to the ‘friends of education’ initiative and in particular to the development of human capital. To this end, I am pleased to announce that NoRED has resolved that the provision of the now-defunct 2020 JSE prizes and awards will be directed towards the regional education development funds of all eight regional education directorates. Therefore, during this sponsorship agreement, NoRED has spent N$800 000,” he said.
Shovaleka noted that this year’s sponsorship concludes a three-year sponsorship agreement signed in 2017 between NoRED and eight regional education directorates Zambezi, Kavango East, Ohangwena, Oshana, Omusati, Oshikoto, Kunene, and Kavango West regions.
The sponsorship covered trophies and cash prizes for three junior secondary school top-performing pupils per subject, and one teacher per outstanding subject in English, mathematics and physical Science.
“I am also pleased to inform you that NoRED has implemented other educational initiatives and interventions aimed at supporting the government’s efforts towards national development goals of education. One of the interventions is the approval of a training and development policy in December 2017, to offer external bursaries to prospective students,” said Shovaleka.
Isack Hamatwi, the director of education in Ohangwena region, said the sponsorship of awards has added value to the education services and it would remain in their memories.
“We all know that the provision of quality education is a joint undertaking by the government, the business community, parents and all our partners in education. This contribution is a vivid testimony that education is a collective responsibility,” he said.
NoRED has so far offered internship opportunities to 128 students over the past three years.
Last year, the electricity distributor awarded three bursaries to students studying towards electrical engineering and accounting honours degrees at the University of Namibia.
This year, NoRED also donated N$20 000 to the eight regions, as part of its corporate social responsibility.
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