Ongwediva junior mayor worried about failure rates
The high failure rate among learners in Namibia is becoming a matter of great concern for the youth, says Ongwediva town junior mayor Simson Uusiku.
Uusiku, a grade 11 student at Gabriel Taapopi Secondary School, made this statement during the official opening of the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair over the weekend.
He said the country has witnessed an increase in failure rates for the past two to three years, a trend that could have a significant impact on the future of Namibian children.
"The NSSCO and NSSAS's recent results are not the best, and this is limiting the possible opportunities that potential students are likely to have," Uusiku said.
Abuse a problem
He said, in his view, that among the causes of the high failure rates are substance abuse issues among young Namibians, particularly involving drugs and alcohol.
He added that although the efforts made by police officers, social workers and individuals to address this problem are acknowledged, the current efforts are insufficiently effective.
"These substances have a negative impact on the minds of learners as they tamper with their thinking capacity and intellectual memory storage. Learners are therefore unable to focus and perform very poorly in their school work," Uusiku told the crowd, including deputy minister of industrialisation and trade Verna Sinimbo, who was officiating the event.
Insufficient support
He said insufficient resources also contribute to high failure rates. Uusiku opined that when schools have insufficient resources and limited learning materials, the curriculum won’t be a success.
"In some subjects, such as accounting... when the curriculum was put into action, limited, if any, textbooks were issued to support teaching and learning. Limited internet access also acts as a barrier as learners cannot do research and expose themselves to better platforms of information online," Uusiku stressed.
Rehab centres a necessity
He suggested that in order to combat alcohol and drug abuse, government should construct more rehabilitation centres to provide learners with a chance to overcome addiction.
Uusiku, a grade 11 student at Gabriel Taapopi Secondary School, made this statement during the official opening of the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair over the weekend.
He said the country has witnessed an increase in failure rates for the past two to three years, a trend that could have a significant impact on the future of Namibian children.
"The NSSCO and NSSAS's recent results are not the best, and this is limiting the possible opportunities that potential students are likely to have," Uusiku said.
Abuse a problem
He said, in his view, that among the causes of the high failure rates are substance abuse issues among young Namibians, particularly involving drugs and alcohol.
He added that although the efforts made by police officers, social workers and individuals to address this problem are acknowledged, the current efforts are insufficiently effective.
"These substances have a negative impact on the minds of learners as they tamper with their thinking capacity and intellectual memory storage. Learners are therefore unable to focus and perform very poorly in their school work," Uusiku told the crowd, including deputy minister of industrialisation and trade Verna Sinimbo, who was officiating the event.
Insufficient support
He said insufficient resources also contribute to high failure rates. Uusiku opined that when schools have insufficient resources and limited learning materials, the curriculum won’t be a success.
"In some subjects, such as accounting... when the curriculum was put into action, limited, if any, textbooks were issued to support teaching and learning. Limited internet access also acts as a barrier as learners cannot do research and expose themselves to better platforms of information online," Uusiku stressed.
Rehab centres a necessity
He suggested that in order to combat alcohol and drug abuse, government should construct more rehabilitation centres to provide learners with a chance to overcome addiction.
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