On The Education Crisis

THE PROBLEM GOVERNMENT has committed considerable resources to education and training since Independence with little or no impact on the quality of output from junior, senior, vocational or tertiary education.

The parlous state of education has been well documented by the World Bank (and other commissions over the years). Social tensions are building up as poorly educated youths are frustrated by the lack of opportunities.Schools are contacting the private sector directly with requests for assistance for the very basics – toilets, fencing, classroom repairs, not to mention schoolbooks and teaching equipment.Education management is clearly in crisis – New Era (24.01.06) reported that in a survey of over 600 schools in the north there is a 24% absenteeism rate amongst teachers.No organisation can tolerate such poor discipline – our pupils are not being given any chance whatsoever.The poor school output translates into poor input in tertiary and vocational training – the abject failure of vocational training over the past 15 years is readily seen in the dismal output of competent artisans and generally poor quality of tertiary and university graduates.Namibia is now suffering from skills anorexia – we are in a downward spiral since we do not have enough skilled technical and managerial people to pass on their skills to the next generation – this is clearly visible in the education sector but is equally true of all sectors of our economy.At Independence the measure of the skills shortage – the Gini Coefficient, which measures the gap between unskilled and skilled pay – was trumpeted as the worst in the world because of colonialism and apartheid.Despite, or perhaps because of Affirmative Action being misused to establish job entitlements for a handful of the “previously disadvantaged”, the gap has not narrowed since Independence (World Bank Report).The newly empowered “haves” have simply entrenched their position versus the “have-nots” whose interests seem to be ignored.This is a socio-political time bomb.SOLUTIONS I am at one with the aims of the Minister of Education’s Education and Training Sector Improvement Programmeme (ETSIP) – I do, however, have some different views of the necessary strategies required to achieve our goals.Take Ownership of the Problem: Stop blaming “the enduring historical effects of apartheid and racial discrimination” and take ownership of the problem.We cannot drive to Vision 2030 by looking in the rear-view mirror.It does not matter where you come from, what matters is where you are going to.Start Managing the Ministry of Education and all other Ministries professionally.Change the disciplinary rules to allow much easier dismissal for non-conformance to rules.Good employees do not need protection from dismissal – by keeping rotten apples, we set precedents for the whole system to decay – hence high absenteeism, etc.Allocate Resources Properly: Every organisation has limited resources.Good management will ensure correct resource allocation and use – stop begging for more money from the private sector and show that the Ministry can handle the present budget correctly.There must be a review of the allocation of resources to administration compared with resources allocated to the operations (schools and colleges) of the Ministry.An overstaffed administration is not just an unwanted cost to the country; it reduces individual productivity, efficiency and motivation.Reduce the Cost of Government: Make sure the Ministry, and indeed all Ministries, are “fit for purpose” and not weighed down by inefficient systems and unproductive staff.The overall cost of government at 36% of GDP was acknowledged as an intolerable burden by the Minister of Finance in her 2005 Budget Speech, yet the cost of Government continues to rise.Governance: Central to a “fit-for-purpose” Ministry of Education is sound enterprise governance at all levels in the education system.This means compliance with systems and procedures that have been established to ensure the safe stewardship of all assets, especially the human resources assets in the Ministry.The second leg of governance is to ensure the performance of the Ministry is measured by the productivity and efficiency with which it achieves its objectives.Conformance and performance governance must work in harmony with ultimate responsibility for the Ministry’s results resting with the Minister and his Permanent Secretary.Budget for Maintenance: It makes no sense to have schools in a state of neglect and decay whilst talking about building more schools.Maintenance is an essential national Budget item not only for schools but for all public buildings and assets.Open up Skills Importation: If we need Mathematics and English teachers, make it easy for them to come to Namibia – e.g.in Singapore anyone with a job offer is welcome (ie the Government trusts employers to make good decisions).RSA has introduced “quota permit” to encourage skills importation.We are in a global labour market and in global competition for skills – we are losing Namibian teachers, nurses and other professionals to Europe, the Middle East etc.Establish a Performance Management System with full responsibility and accountability at all levels from PS to classroom teacher.Have a student-centred education system that aims at producing a competent employee in the knowledge-based society – knowledge, skills and attitudes.Zero tolerance for any form of corruption, starting from the very top and throughout the system.Invite parents and children to participate.Lifelong Learning: 80% of jobs that exist today are radically different from the same job 20 years ago – secretaries, motor mechanics and clerks now have to be computer literate – typewriters and carburettors no longer exist.The pace of change will continue – today’s school-leavers will only survive if they are committed to lifelong learning.The desire to learn, accompanied by the basic literacy, numeracy and thinking skills necessary for learning to take place, are largely missing in our school-leavers.Revise the Curriculum: Future employment opportunities are built around the artisan class – blue-collar workers who produce goods and services efficiently and competitively.Work by Professor Ghai in Kenya showed that one skilled worker produces up to 25 lower-level jobs in the economy.There is a serious mismatch in education output and the demands of the economy.It is no secret that Vocational Education and Training, 16 years after Independence, is in a dismal state – input standards are low, there is a serious shortage of skilled vocational teachers, failure rates are very high, and qualified standards are low.We have to get this right if we are to attract any significant investment.Life-skills Education: Education is meant to be preparation for life in the adult world.Life-skills education, from simple civic rights and duties, basic values such as honesty and tolerance, having regard for the rights of all other Namibians, understanding self-reliance or even using the banking system, is needed.The Right to Fail: Automatic promotion in our schools has produced a culture of entitlement, a belief that time served is the same as productive use of time.If a learner fails a class, her or she should not be automatically promoted since not only will her or she hold back the groups learning at a higher level, the lesson of reward for hard work is ignored.If the teachers are not up to the job and cannot or will not teach, then let’s address this problem, but not undermine good education.The Will to Succeed: Competition means being able to handle failure, learn from mistakes, stand up and take responsibility for doing things differently and better next time.It is this will to succeed that must encourage all our efforts, from the very top to the newest learner in the system.If we do not start to think like a nation of winners, we are bound to lose.As a patriotic Namibian, it is my national duty to help our Government to find viable solutions to the education crisis.We need a holistic approach from many quarters, but first and foremost is a belief at all levels that our leadership has the political will to drive this change through.If we are to fulfil the promises of Vision 2030, we cannot let this opportunity slip away.* Harold Pupkewitz is the Executive Chairman of Pupkewitz Holdings (Pty) Ltd.These notes formed the basis of a presentation he made at a breakfast meeting with the Minister of Education on March 29.Social tensions are building up as poorly educated youths are frustrated by the lack of opportunities.Schools are contacting the private sector directly with requests for assistance for the very basics – toilets, fencing, classroom repairs, not to mention schoolbooks and teaching equipment.Education management is clearly in crisis – New Era (24.01.06) reported that in a survey of over 600 schools in the north there is a 24% absenteeism rate amongst teachers.No organisation can tolerate such poor discipline – our pupils are not being given any chance whatsoever.The poor school output translates into poor input in tertiary and vocational training – the abject failure of vocational training over the past 15 years is readily seen in the dismal output of competent artisans and generally poor quality of tertiary and university graduates.Namibia is now suffering from skills anorexia – we are in a downward spiral since we do not have enough skilled technical and managerial people to pass on their skills to the next generation – this is clearly visible in the education sector but is equally true of all sectors of our economy.At Independence the measure of the skills shortage – the Gini Coefficient, which measures the gap between unskilled and skilled pay – was trumpeted as the worst in the world because of colonialism and apartheid.Despite, or perhaps because of Affirmative Action being misused to establish job entitlements for a handful of the “previously disadvantaged”, the gap has not narrowed since Independence (World Bank Report).The newly empowered “haves” have simply entrenched their position versus the “have-nots” whose interests seem to be ignored.This is a socio-political time bomb.SOLUTIONS I am at one with the aims of the Minister of Education’s Education and Training Sector Improvement Programmeme (ETSIP) – I do, however, have some different views of the necessary strategies required to achieve our goals.Take Ownership of the Problem: Stop blaming “the enduring historical effects of apartheid and racial discrimination” and take ownership of the problem.We cannot drive to Vision 2030 by looking in the rear-view mirror.It does not matter where you come from, what matters is where you are going to.Start Managing the Ministry of Education and all other Ministries professionally.Change the disciplinary rules to allow much easier dismissal for non-conformance to rules.Good employees do not need protection from dismissal – by keeping rotten apples, we set precedents for the whole system to decay – hence high absenteeism, etc.Allocate Resources Properly: Every organisation has limited resources.Good management will ensure correct resource allocation and use – stop begging for more money from the private sector and show that the Ministry can handle the present budget correctly.There must be a review of the allocation of resources to administration compared with resources allocated to the operations (schools and colleges) of the Ministry.An overstaffed administration is not just an unwanted cost to the country; it reduces individual productivity, efficiency and motivation.Reduce the Cost of Government: Make sure the Ministry, and indeed all Ministries, are “fit for purpose” and not weighed down by inefficient systems and unproductive staff.The overall cost of government at 36% of GDP was acknowledged as an intolerable burden by the Minister of Finance in her 2005 Budget Speech, yet the cost of Government continues to rise.Governance: Central to a “fit-for-purpose” Ministry of Education is sound enterprise governance at all levels in the education system.This means compliance with systems and procedures that have been established to ensure the safe stewardship of all assets, especially the human resources assets in the Ministry.The second leg of governance is to ensure the performance of the Ministry is measured by the productivity and efficiency with which it achieves its objectives.Conformance and performance governance must work in harmony with ultimate responsibility for the Ministry’s results resting with the Minister and his Permanent Secretary.Budget for Maintenance: It makes no sense to have schools in a state of neglect and decay whilst talking about building more schools.Maintenance is an essential national Budget item not only for schools but for all public buildings and assets.Open up Skills Importation: If we need Mathematics and English teachers, make it easy for them to come to Namibia – e.g.in Singapore anyone with a job offer is welcome (ie the Government trusts employers to make good decisions).RSA has introduced “quota permit” to encourage skills importation.We are in a global labour market and in global competition for skills – we are losing Namibian teachers, nurses and other professionals to Europe, the Middle East etc.Establish a Performance Management System with full responsibility and accountability at all levels from PS to classroom teacher.Have a student-centred education system that aims at producing a competent employee in the knowledge-based society – knowledge, skills and attitudes.Zero tolerance for any form of corruption, starting from the very top and throughout the system.Invite parents and children to participate.Lifelong Learning: 80% of jobs that exist today are radically different from the same job 20 years ago – secretaries, motor mechanics and clerks now have to be computer literate – typewriters and carburettors no longer exist.The pace of change will continue – today’s school-leavers will only survive if they are committed to lifelong learning.The desire to learn, accompanied by the basic literacy, numeracy and thinking skills necessary for learning to take place, are largely missing in our school-leavers.Revise the Curriculum: Future employment opportunities are built around the artisan class – blue-collar workers who produce goods and services efficiently and competitively.Work by Professor Ghai in Kenya showed that one skilled worker produces up to 25 lower-level jobs in the economy.There is a serious mismatch in education output and the demands of the economy.It is no secret that Vocational Education and Training, 16 years after Independence, is in a dismal state – input standards are low, there is a serious shortage of skilled vocational teachers, failure rates are very high, and qualified standards are low.We have to get this right if we are to attract any significant investment.Life-skills Education: Education is meant to be preparation for life in the adult world.Life-skills education, from simple civic rights and duties, basic values such as honesty and tolerance, having regard for the rights of all other Namibians, understanding self-reliance or even using the banking system, is needed.The Right to Fail: Automatic promotion in our schools has produced a culture of entitlement, a belief that time served is the same as productive use of time.If a learner fails a class, her or she should not be automatically promoted since not only will her or she hold back the groups learning at a higher level, the lesson of reward for hard work is ignored.If the teachers are not up to the job and cannot or will not teach, then let’s address this problem, but not undermine good education.The Will to Succeed: Competition means being able to handle failure, learn from mistakes, stand up and take responsibility for doing things differently and better next time.It is this will to succeed that must encourage all our efforts, from the very top to the newest learner in the system.If we do not start to think like a nation of winners, we are bound to lose.As a patriotic Namibian, it is my national duty to help our Government to find viable solutions to the education crisis.We need a holistic approach from many quarters, but first and foremost is a belief at all levels that our leadership has the political will to drive this change through.If we are to fulfil the promises of Vision 2030, we cannot let this opportunity slip away.* Harold Pupkewitz is the Executive Chairman of Pupkewitz Holdings (Pty) Ltd.These notes formed the basis of a presentation he made at a breakfast meeting with the Minister of Education on March 29.