On Nigerian Teachers

I AM very much concerned with the crisis in the education sector in which our country consistently imports human capacities from other countries including the recent negotiations with Nigerian diplomats.

There are rumours that some teachers’ services will be terminated if they don’t improve their qualifications. One would ask a question whether these teachers were given means to go and further their studies or was it planned from diplomatic negotiations to throw these teachers into the streets of Namibia? It is of great interest for the public to know why Government is only interested in agreements that provide a bright future for other countries.If I was given a chance to guide, I would have considered it differently.For instance it would be better for Namibia’s development and for SADC to allow for an exchange of knowledge; Namibia could take her teachers to Nigeria on equal basis to the number of Nigerians coming to teach in Namibia.There is a saying that “you cannot teach a person how to eat fish but teach a person how to catch fish for him/herself”.The joke is that we have a lot of unfinished business locally such as high unemployment rate in the country (approx 36 per cent on record).The University of Namibia graduates in education will be unemployed mostly because of the trans-shipment of Nigerians, we have cases whereby Fisheries and Marine Science graduates are currently unemployed while they have done Bachelors of Science and they sit in the same class with any student who writes mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry to name but a few.Why they are not being employed to teach mathematics and science subjects if you want teachers? It will be unfair to blame teachers when necessary scientific instruments including science laboratories are not in schools.Even Nigerian science teachers will not be able to produce better results without instruments being provided to them by any government.I quote President Pohamba in one of his speeches in 2005 who said that “a nation that depends on handouts is not independent” I agree 110% with our President’s noble idea.Every year students are strictly prohibited from sitting for examinations from all institutions, and every year government does not pay for students’ education at tertiary institutions on time and they always negotiate for student to write their exams saying that they will pay later.If the Ambassadors of the two countries want to negotiate an area of bilateral agreement they should rather exchange training.We know for sure that an unqualified teacher in Nigeria would be deemed qualified in Namibia and that’s not what we want.The Ambassador should at least show interest to cooperate in crude oil or petroleum for the benefit of all, as fuel is the engine of the economy.I am saying this because these are the only organs of State through which negotiations on education could come.I also want to inform fellow Namibians that I am not a teacher; I am doing this in the sprit of national development.Our long awaited Vision 2030 basically implies that Namibia will create employment and eradicate poverty from the Namibian society before or on the set date.Therefore I recommend the following to my government: if it could reverse its decision to sort out the most urgent matters such as employment for all graduates with better salaries and make poverty a story of the past before calling in 100+ Nigerian teachers as shown on NBC TV on Friday 07 December 2007; Improve the livelihood of rural people especially access to water a natural resource; fight seriously against HIV-AIDS at all borders, immigrants must show proof of their status and advise them to take precautionary measures thus controlling the freedom of movement of people by protecting your country.Since there is no rain in parts of the country this year, work on a contingency plan for relief of hunger.Teachers cannot afford to teach hungry pupils and the pupils may not grasp what is necessary to them.For politicians please refrain from discussions of your ill treatment in the past as word(s) like national reconciliation have a great meaning and purpose if you are to make meaningful contribution please focus on national developmental issues like infrastructure development and education for the sake of progress.I am only interested in national development in all the country’s thirteen regions, as well as in the education, employment creation and economic politics within the Namibian context.Albert M. Mbanga, WindhoekOne would ask a question whether these teachers were given means to go and further their studies or was it planned from diplomatic negotiations to throw these teachers into the streets of Namibia? It is of great interest for the public to know why Government is only interested in agreements that provide a bright future for other countries.If I was given a chance to guide, I would have considered it differently.For instance it would be better for Namibia’s development and for SADC to allow for an exchange of knowledge; Namibia could take her teachers to Nigeria on equal basis to the number of Nigerians coming to teach in Namibia.There is a saying that “you cannot teach a person how to eat fish but teach a person how to catch fish for him/herself”.The joke is that we have a lot of unfinished business locally such as high unemployment rate in the country (approx 36 per cent on record).The University of Namibia graduates in education will be unemployed mostly because of the trans-shipment of Nigerians, we have cases whereby Fisheries and Marine Science graduates are currently unemployed while they have done Bachelors of Science and they sit in the same class with any student who writes mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry to name but a few.Why they are not being employed to teach mathematics and science subjects if you want teachers? It will be unfair to blame teachers when necessary scientific instruments including science laboratories are not in schools.Even Nigerian science teachers will not be able to produce better results without instruments being provided to them by any government.I quote President Pohamba in one of his speeches in 2005 who said that “a nation that depends on handouts is not independent” I agree 110% with our President’s noble idea.Every year students are strictly prohibited from sitting for examinations from all institutions, and every year government does not pay for students’ education at tertiary institutions on time and they always negotiate for student to write their exams saying that they will pay later.If the Ambassadors of the two countries want to negotiate an area of bilateral agreement they should rather exchange training.We know for sure that an unqualified teacher in Nigeria would be deemed qualified in Namibia and that’s not what we want.The Ambassador should at least show interest to cooperate in crude oil or petroleum for the benefit of all, as fuel is the engine of the economy.I am saying this because these are the only organs of State through which negotiations on education could come.I also want to inform fellow Namibians that I am not a teacher; I am doing this in the sprit of national development.Our long awaited Vision 2030 basically implies that Namibia will create employment and eradicate poverty from the Namibian society before or on the set date.Therefore I recommend the following to my government: if it could reverse its decision to sort out the most urgent matters such as employment for all graduates with better salaries and make poverty a story of the past before calling in 100+ Nigerian teachers as shown on NBC TV on Friday 07 December 2007; Improve the livelihood of rural people especially access to water a natural resource; fight seriously against HIV-AIDS at all borders, immigrants must show proof of their status and advise them to take precautionary measures thus controlling the freedom of movement of people by protecting your country.Since there is no rain in parts of the country this year, work on a contingency plan for relief of hunger.Teachers cannot afford to teach hungry pupils and the pupils may not grasp w
hat is necessary to them.For politicians please refrain from discussions of your ill treatment in the past as word(s) like national reconciliation have a great meaning and purpose if you are to make meaningful contribution please focus on national developmental issues like infrastructure development and education for the sake of progress.I am only interested in national development in all the country’s thirteen regions, as well as in the education, employment creation and economic politics within the Namibian context. Albert M. Mbanga, Windhoek