I discipline teachers - Amunyela
The principal of Onampira Combined School shares the secret of his school's success.
The secret behind Onampira Combined School's top performance in the Grade 12 National Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) ordinary level examinations is that its principal, Gebhard Amunyela, is strict when it comes to the discipline of teachers and learners.
Amunyela tells Namibian Sun that he has no mercy when it comes to teacher discipline.
Onampira's academic performance improved by leaps and bounds last year.
It was ranked 16th nationally and third in the region in the2018 NSSC ordinary level examinations.
Onampira Combined School is a non-boarding school offering all grades from preschool to grade 12.
Amunyela says the good results came as no surprise, as the school had made a concerted effort over the past three years to become one of the best schools in the country.
“I don't have any mercy when it comes to the discipline of teachers and learners. I don't deal with the discipline of learners; I discipline the teachers.
“That is the most sensitive part of the education system because when you discipline teachers they hit back, but I don't retaliate,” Amunyela says.
“When disciplining teachers you do not use the same strategy as when you discipline learners.
“You call them in, explain to them what they are doing wrong and use the education guidelines and policies to explain what is expected from them...”
Amunyela says when he arrived at Onampira three years ago it was regarded as a problem school.
Many rural schools face obstacles that prevent them from performing well.
He advises fellow school principals to concentrate more on discipline than on filling in lesson plans as a means of monitoring teaching.
“I don't concentrate on filling in lesson plans. There are teachers that are very good at filling in lesson preparation forms. I concentrate on whether teachers have prepared for the content of what they are going to teach.
“What I do is draw up my action plan and monitoring plan just to make sure that policies are implemented and make sure there is discipline at school,” he says.
Amunyela says when education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa announced at a media conference on Thursday that Onampira was ranked among the top 20 state schools, many people called him to ask what strategy he used.
He says there is no special strategy besides the government guidelines and policies. He merely enforces these guidelines strictly.
He says teachers must prepare for their lessons, must be on time and should give a certain amount of work to learners.
ILENI NANDJATO
Amunyela tells Namibian Sun that he has no mercy when it comes to teacher discipline.
Onampira's academic performance improved by leaps and bounds last year.
It was ranked 16th nationally and third in the region in the2018 NSSC ordinary level examinations.
Onampira Combined School is a non-boarding school offering all grades from preschool to grade 12.
Amunyela says the good results came as no surprise, as the school had made a concerted effort over the past three years to become one of the best schools in the country.
“I don't have any mercy when it comes to the discipline of teachers and learners. I don't deal with the discipline of learners; I discipline the teachers.
“That is the most sensitive part of the education system because when you discipline teachers they hit back, but I don't retaliate,” Amunyela says.
“When disciplining teachers you do not use the same strategy as when you discipline learners.
“You call them in, explain to them what they are doing wrong and use the education guidelines and policies to explain what is expected from them...”
Amunyela says when he arrived at Onampira three years ago it was regarded as a problem school.
Many rural schools face obstacles that prevent them from performing well.
He advises fellow school principals to concentrate more on discipline than on filling in lesson plans as a means of monitoring teaching.
“I don't concentrate on filling in lesson plans. There are teachers that are very good at filling in lesson preparation forms. I concentrate on whether teachers have prepared for the content of what they are going to teach.
“What I do is draw up my action plan and monitoring plan just to make sure that policies are implemented and make sure there is discipline at school,” he says.
Amunyela says when education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa announced at a media conference on Thursday that Onampira was ranked among the top 20 state schools, many people called him to ask what strategy he used.
He says there is no special strategy besides the government guidelines and policies. He merely enforces these guidelines strictly.
He says teachers must prepare for their lessons, must be on time and should give a certain amount of work to learners.
ILENI NANDJATO
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article