Otjiwarongo Secondary School, a multicultural school

Otjiwarongo Secondary School (OSS) is known to frequently produce good results compared to other schools in Namibia. OSS started off as a little village school. It first came about in the early 1900s when Otjiwarongo came into being and there was a need for schools, but OSS was first declared as a secondary school in 1953 by the government at the time. Tony Naylor, the school's principal, said “through 60 years of proud history, OSS has formed the futures of thousands of Namibians. We still have that dream to prepare young Namibians to be successful adults in a multicultural and inclusive environment. We want to open and expand young minds to cope with the expectations and demands of a young and independent nation in Africa. He added that OSS offers a wide range of subjects and extracurricular activities.As a school that has been running for almost 70 years, it is safe to say that a lot goes into keeping the school's standards. Naylor said “hard work and competent and dedicated teachers have definitely contributed immensely towards how far OSS has come”.The mission and vision of the school is to ensure effective management and proactive teaching environment that will allow learners to develop and reach their full potential, in spite of all limitations and irrespective of race, gender or disability, and to become successful individuals in their communities and worthy citizens. "OSS wants to be a winner as a multicultural school which empowers all learners to achieve success," the principal said.The Zone asked grade nine learner Anushka Horn about the most valuable lesson OSS has taught her, and she said: “My Afrikaans teacher Mrs Riekie Klazinga always told us that honesty is the best policy and if you decide to be honest, you will always be rewarded. She always did this thing where if she marks something right that’s supposed to be wrong and you show her, she will give you the mark anyway just to remind us that honesty is the best policy”.Next year will be a very exciting year for OSS as the school will be turning 70 years old. The school has many exciting events planned, Naylor said, adding that they have collaborated with the German embassy to host a concert for the learners. There will also be events - from a reunion of former learners and a Valentine’s Day ball, to so much more.A grade 10 learner who has been at OSS for three years, Amanda Van der Merwe, said: “One thing I really appreciate about OSS is how diverse the school is in terms of the type of teachers and learners and this really allows one be yourself, regardless of where you come from and how different you were brought up”.

Otjiwarongo Secondary School, a multicultural school

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-08

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Otjiwarongo Secondary School, a multicultural school

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-08

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