Director, minister differ on new curriculum
The education director for Oshikoto Region, Lamek Kafidi, says more qualified teachers are needed for the revised education curriculum to be realised.
The authorities have undertaken broad-based reforms in basic education aimed at addressing high dropout rates and improving the quality of learning.
These include the abolishing of the external grade 10 junior secondary examinations by 2019. At the end of 2018 grade 9 learners will write the first junior secondary semi-external examinations, following which they will be promoted to the senior secondary phase, starting with grade 10.
This will mark the start of a new, extended senior secondary phase of education, taking the form of a two-year Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) course.
After that, grade 12 will allow learners to complete the one-year Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Higher Level (NSSCH) course.
Kafidi, however, is worried that with the repetition rate in grade 9 already high, the new curriculum will result in many learners dropping out.
Kafidi says for the revised curriculum to succeed, the government must go all out to enlist the services of qualified teachers to handle the new reforms.
“The new curriculum will mean that the grade 9 examination will be set at national level and marked at schools.
“This will come with more challenges because currently many complaints are coming to my office that some of teachers have not marked papers,” Kafidi said.
He was speaking during the Oshigambo Circuit annual teachers' conference, which was also attended by education deputy minister Anna Nghipondoka.
“If we have a semi-external examination depending solely on the schools, it calls on us as managers of the system to make sure that schools have professional teachers to do the marking,” Kafidi said.
He added that teachers have to live up to the expectation of the government by ensuring that learners progress to the next grade.
In defence of the new changes, Nghipondoka said the revised curriculum was demand-driven and that is why vocational subjects were introduced.
“We are trying to move away from the system of producing learners into the street and too many white collars. We would like to start teaching people to meet the demand of the country.
“We want when people are leaving school in grade 9 they are ready for the job market,” Nghipondoka said.
She urged teachers to apply effective teaching methods, focusing on the progress of the learners and not only on failure.
ILENI NANDJATO
The authorities have undertaken broad-based reforms in basic education aimed at addressing high dropout rates and improving the quality of learning.
These include the abolishing of the external grade 10 junior secondary examinations by 2019. At the end of 2018 grade 9 learners will write the first junior secondary semi-external examinations, following which they will be promoted to the senior secondary phase, starting with grade 10.
This will mark the start of a new, extended senior secondary phase of education, taking the form of a two-year Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) course.
After that, grade 12 will allow learners to complete the one-year Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Higher Level (NSSCH) course.
Kafidi, however, is worried that with the repetition rate in grade 9 already high, the new curriculum will result in many learners dropping out.
Kafidi says for the revised curriculum to succeed, the government must go all out to enlist the services of qualified teachers to handle the new reforms.
“The new curriculum will mean that the grade 9 examination will be set at national level and marked at schools.
“This will come with more challenges because currently many complaints are coming to my office that some of teachers have not marked papers,” Kafidi said.
He was speaking during the Oshigambo Circuit annual teachers' conference, which was also attended by education deputy minister Anna Nghipondoka.
“If we have a semi-external examination depending solely on the schools, it calls on us as managers of the system to make sure that schools have professional teachers to do the marking,” Kafidi said.
He added that teachers have to live up to the expectation of the government by ensuring that learners progress to the next grade.
In defence of the new changes, Nghipondoka said the revised curriculum was demand-driven and that is why vocational subjects were introduced.
“We are trying to move away from the system of producing learners into the street and too many white collars. We would like to start teaching people to meet the demand of the country.
“We want when people are leaving school in grade 9 they are ready for the job market,” Nghipondoka said.
She urged teachers to apply effective teaching methods, focusing on the progress of the learners and not only on failure.
ILENI NANDJATO
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