Schools to pull up their socks

THE percentage of schoolchildren who have to repeat a grade is unacceptable and shows that some State schools perform so poorly that they might have to be closed, Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba says.

In a ministerial statement delivered in Parliament on Thursday, Minister Mbumba announced that action would be taken to supervise schools and teachers better and to issue teachers with licences in order to improve teaching standards. He said principals have to manage schools better and allow schools to become learning centres for their communities by making available premises for NamCol, literacy classes and for any “legitimate learning activities that can uplift a community”.Remedial teaching is of great importance and should take place in the afternoons to help pupils who have difficulty with school subjects, the Minister said.”In all the schools that are successful, remedial classes are taking place – just ask the regions and schools that are topping the list with the best examination results,” Mbumba told the House.”The repetition rates of learners we have in Namibia are totally unacceptable.”In 2005, some 23,1 per cent of learners in Grade 8 were repeating the grade, while in Grade 9 there were 16,7 [per cent] repeaters.That means employing many more teachers than we actually need in order to accommodate the repeaters and those who enter Grades 8 and 9 for the first time.”In due course, national tests would be introduced for Grade 5 and 8 pupils to monitor their progress and to intervene “so that children do not reach secondary school with accumulated learning deficits.”Mbumba reminded the House that the ambitious Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP) had kicked in and that licensing teachers would be a priority.”This will encourage performance and accountability for results, now that professional standards for teachers have been drawn up.In future, to be registered as a teacher, you will have to meet these standards in terms of your knowledge of subjects and teaching methods,” the Minister told the House.Education inspectors and subject advisors will also carry out a national evaluation of schools to determine the level of performance of the schools, Mbumba said.”We are now developing an index of performance based on the national standards developed for schools in 2006.”The Ministry will set targets for schools and each school should by now have worked out a strategic plan for reaching these targets, the Minister continued.”We will expect explanations from those which do not achieve the set targets.”Namibia has about 500 State schools.He said principals have to manage schools better and allow schools to become learning centres for their communities by making available premises for NamCol, literacy classes and for any “legitimate learning activities that can uplift a community”.Remedial teaching is of great importance and should take place in the afternoons to help pupils who have difficulty with school subjects, the Minister said.”In all the schools that are successful, remedial classes are taking place – just ask the regions and schools that are topping the list with the best examination results,” Mbumba told the House.”The repetition rates of learners we have in Namibia are totally unacceptable.”In 2005, some 23,1 per cent of learners in Grade 8 were repeating the grade, while in Grade 9 there were 16,7 [per cent] repeaters.That means employing many more teachers than we actually need in order to accommodate the repeaters and those who enter Grades 8 and 9 for the first time.”In due course, national tests would be introduced for Grade 5 and 8 pupils to monitor their progress and to intervene “so that children do not reach secondary school with accumulated learning deficits.”Mbumba reminded the House that the ambitious Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP) had kicked in and that licensing teachers would be a priority.”This will encourage performance and accountability for results, now that professional standards for teachers have been drawn up.In future, to be registered as a teacher, you will have to meet these standards in terms of your knowledge of subjects and teaching methods,” the Minister told the House.Education inspectors and subject advisors will also carry out a national evaluation of schools to determine the level of performance of the schools, Mbumba said.”We are now developing an index of performance based on the national standards developed for schools in 2006.”The Ministry will set targets for schools and each school should by now have worked out a strategic plan for reaching these targets, the Minister continued.”We will expect explanations from those which do not achieve the set targets.”Namibia has about 500 State schools.