Teachers’ union declares war on Cambridge

THE Teachers’ Union of Namibia (TUN) might soon find itself in court over statements made by the union’s executive at a press conference in January.

The TUN on Friday denounced an apology made to the University of Cambridge International Examinations, after Deputy President Chanville Mackrill said that the Cambridge Education System in use in Namibia had been thrown out of Britain, its birthplace, “and dumped onto Namibia”. The university last week threatened the union with legal action, saying that this statement was false, and that the union wrongfully gave the impression that the Cambridge system posed no challenge to Namibian learners.This statement, along with an annexure wording an apology by TUN to the university, was sent to newspapers, and wrongfully appeared in various news articles as emanating from the union itself.On Friday, the union said that it not only rebuts the apology, but reaffirms its initial press statement, which it said “enjoys the broad patriotic popular support of all right-thinking members of the Namibian public.”The union also took offence to the singling out of Mackrill in the Cambridge University statement, saying that his views in this instance represented those of the union’s members.”TUN further states that it has no knowledge of the reported good reputation of Cambridge Education System in the UK or elsewhere in the world,” the union said last week, “and hence TUN does not subscribe to the same because of self-evident disastrous … outcomes of the system in Namibia since its inception.”Speaking to The Namibian on Sunday, TUN president Gert Jansen said the union was fully prepared to defend its statements about the Cambridge Education System, and that they had already consulted their attorneys for such a turn of events.The university last week stated that it would pursue charges of defamation and libel against the union if it was not prepared to withdraw its statements.The university last week threatened the union with legal action, saying that this statement was false, and that the union wrongfully gave the impression that the Cambridge system posed no challenge to Namibian learners.This statement, along with an annexure wording an apology by TUN to the university, was sent to newspapers, and wrongfully appeared in various news articles as emanating from the union itself.On Friday, the union said that it not only rebuts the apology, but reaffirms its initial press statement, which it said “enjoys the broad patriotic popular support of all right-thinking members of the Namibian public.”The union also took offence to the singling out of Mackrill in the Cambridge University statement, saying that his views in this instance represented those of the union’s members.”TUN further states that it has no knowledge of the reported good reputation of Cambridge Education System in the UK or elsewhere in the world,” the union said last week, “and hence TUN does not subscribe to the same because of self-evident disastrous … outcomes of the system in Namibia since its inception.”Speaking to The Namibian on Sunday, TUN president Gert Jansen said the union was fully prepared to defend its statements about the Cambridge Education System, and that they had already consulted their attorneys for such a turn of events.The university last week stated that it would pursue charges of defamation and libel against the union if it was not prepared to withdraw its statements.