Katutura flavour drives A. Shipena into academic excellence
Once dismissed as a troubled Katutura school with little academic promise, A. Shipena Secondary has rewritten its story. In the 2025 NSSCAS results, the school ranked seventh nationally, placing it among Namibia’s top ten performing schools – a milestone reflecting nearly a decade of steady, deliberate reform.
Principal Moses Haufiku, appointed in 2015, says the success did not happen overnight. “What people are seeing now is the harvest of work that started nine or ten years ago,” he told Network Media Hub this week.
When Haufiku arrived, the school ranked second last in the Khomas Region. Of about 125 Grade 12 learners, only two qualified for tertiary admission. The school also carried a negative reputation, closely linked to long-held stereotypes about Katutura – a reputation that has since been dismantled.
Discipline and parental involvement
Haufiku attributes the turnaround to a strong culture of discipline and active parental involvement. “When a school is disciplined, learners tend to excel. And when parents are involved, you build a relationship between the school and the home,” he said.
That relationship allows teachers and parents to share responsibility and communicate openly about learners’ behaviour and academic progress.
Another pillar of A. Shipena’s rise has been its emphasis on extracurricular activities. Sports and cultural programmes are not treated as add-ons, but as tools for building discipline, confidence, and a sense of belonging – particularly for learners who struggle academically.
“We are not only teaching learners to go to university,” Haufiku said. “We are adopting a holistic approach – to develop athletes, soccer players, and national netball players.”
Embracing Katutura identity
Rather than distancing the school from its surroundings, the leadership chose to embrace its identity, adding what Haufiku calls a “Katutura flavour” to education.
“Katutura has always been linked to the idea that nothing good comes from here,” he said. “We decided to be proud of where we come from and make learners believe in that.”
That sense of pride, he believes, has helped learners shed stigma and compete confidently with schools from the city centre. - [email protected]
Principal Moses Haufiku, appointed in 2015, says the success did not happen overnight. “What people are seeing now is the harvest of work that started nine or ten years ago,” he told Network Media Hub this week.
When Haufiku arrived, the school ranked second last in the Khomas Region. Of about 125 Grade 12 learners, only two qualified for tertiary admission. The school also carried a negative reputation, closely linked to long-held stereotypes about Katutura – a reputation that has since been dismantled.
Discipline and parental involvement
Haufiku attributes the turnaround to a strong culture of discipline and active parental involvement. “When a school is disciplined, learners tend to excel. And when parents are involved, you build a relationship between the school and the home,” he said.
That relationship allows teachers and parents to share responsibility and communicate openly about learners’ behaviour and academic progress.
Another pillar of A. Shipena’s rise has been its emphasis on extracurricular activities. Sports and cultural programmes are not treated as add-ons, but as tools for building discipline, confidence, and a sense of belonging – particularly for learners who struggle academically.
“We are not only teaching learners to go to university,” Haufiku said. “We are adopting a holistic approach – to develop athletes, soccer players, and national netball players.”
Embracing Katutura identity
Rather than distancing the school from its surroundings, the leadership chose to embrace its identity, adding what Haufiku calls a “Katutura flavour” to education.
“Katutura has always been linked to the idea that nothing good comes from here,” he said. “We decided to be proud of where we come from and make learners believe in that.”
That sense of pride, he believes, has helped learners shed stigma and compete confidently with schools from the city centre. - [email protected]
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