THE recently appointed education permanent secretary Sanet Steenkamp has pledged her commitment, professional integrity and devotion to the advancement of the work of the ministry.
Speaking at her welcoming ceremony on Tuesday, Steenkamp said: “I take courage and positivity in knowing that this ministry is endowed with a multitude of experts in the fields of education, arts, culture and administration, just to mention a few.
“I therefore believe that with the involvement of all stakeholders, particularly my team of staff that I will be working with, this ministry would no longer be regarded as a monster or a beast, as it has been perceived by some.’’
Steenkamp said education is a prerequisite for tackling poverty and promoting short and long-term economic growth. She noted that education is complex and that demands in the educational sector are diverse, ranging from teacher supply; the new curriculum reform; infrastructure; water and sanitation; nutrition and supply of furniture, stationery and textbooks; development of relevant policies befitting the democratic state; strengthening the human capacity and building strong teams.
Steenkamp said all these demands require concerted, collective and corrective action at all levels, departments, directorates and sections. She called on senior management to engage each other extensively and support their subordinates to improve the response capacity and face new challenges head-on.
“It would require from us to exercise sound judgement in dealing with issues of decision making, implementation on a daily level and raising the bar on accountability,’’ she said. Steenkamp, who was the educational director in the Ohangwena region, replaced Alfred Ilukena who was moved to the ministry of sport.
Education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa welcomed Steenkamp and pledged commitment to work and support the new PS in order to take the ministry to greater heights.
“Count on us as ‘Team Education, Arts and Culture’.” she said.
Hanse-Himarwa said the legacy Ilukena left behind continues and she pledged to continue working in the interest of all Namibian youth for greater benefits for all. – Nampa
