Ebenezer runs on autopilot

Teachers of Ebenezer English Private School at Eendobe in Omusati Region are up in arms after school owner decided they will no longer be considered permanent employees, citing lack of performance.The teachers reached out to Affirmative Repositioning leaders Angelina Immanuel, Tuhafeni Petrus and Leonard Naluvanda Indongo complaining of the decision to have their contracts changed from permanent to temporary - a move they said was not discussed with them before a decision was taken.The three AR leaders visited the school, which has also been accused of mismanagement, victimisation and unfair dismissals, with some of the employees accusing founder and owner Mirjam Amushila-Hakaye of mistreatment.Amushila-Hakaye denied all the allegations and said the decision to give teachers temporary contracts was a suggestion made at a meeting recently held between private school owners in the region.She attended the meeting on 23 March and has since made a decision to place all teachers on temporary contracts from April 2022 to April 2023.The school, which was established in 2018, is home to 295 learners and has two board members.Poor performanceAmushila-Hakaye said the meeting held with private school owners at Outapi under the banner of the Private Schools Association discussed challenges and obstacles facing private schools in the region. She said poor performance of learners and teachers topped the list."The meeting came up with suggestions on how best to improve school performance and a suggestion was made that teachers’ contracts need to be renewed yearly so they can put in more effort and increase production at work," she said.Amushila-Hakaye could not answer whether her decision to make changes to the contracts was done within the Namibian legal framework, which does not allow an employer to change contracts from permanent to temporary unless dismissing everyone and offering new packages.“The economy is already not doing well and the teachers are too relaxed because they are on permanent employment. Those who perform well during the year, their contracts will be renewed come 1 April 2023. Those who have not performed will have their contracts terminated for good and will be replaced,” she stressed.Financial troubleAmushila-Hakaye said one of the issues they are faced with is financial constraints as the education ministry has stopped offering a subsidy to the school. She went as far as writing a letter to AR leader Job Amupanda to come to their aid.The education ministry school grant policy for 2020 to 2025 states that schools that operate for profit-making might qualify for an education grant if they meet the prescribed conditions imposed by the ministry.The admission policy of such private schools must be in line with inclusivity, accessibility, equity and equality. There should be evidence that such private schools enrol 10% of their learners from socio-economically disadvantaged communities, learners with special learning needs or learners from marginalised communities.The government provides funding to 10% of learners admitted at such a private school and funding allocation does not exceed the amount allocated to state schools for the same educational level.Education ministry spokesperson Sem Shino said he could only provide feedback on the funding system today and why Ebenezer is not a beneficiary.

Ebenezer runs on autopilot

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-06

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Ebenezer runs on autopilot

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-06

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