Power plant negotiations steam ahead

The Kavango East Region has reached the top spot in the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) Ordinary Level examinations, ending the three-year dominance of the Erongo Region. Kavango East moved up three places to the top of the rankings – a position it had never held, even before the Kavango Region was split into East and West. The deputy director of education in Kavango East, Fanuel Kapapero, told Namibian Sun that his hopes for the region clinching the first spot were realised thanks largely to the Rukongo Vision School, which topped the list of government schools. St Boniface College, also in the Kavango East Region, maintained its decade-long dominance in the Grade 12 Ordinary Level results among private schools. “I have always told my colleagues that once the Rukongo Vision School is fully functioning, we are going to dislodge the Erongo Region from that position. My prediction came true,” said Kapapero. According to Kapapero, Rukongo Vision School headhunted a teacher from St Boniface to become the new school’s principal. “He (the principal) brought the magic. You need to understand that Rukongo Vision has a different environment from other state schools. Teachers are screened very well before they teach at the school,” he explained. Other schools from the Kavango-East that featured among the top 20 best-performing government schools are the Max Makushe Secondary School, which ranked at number 13 from last year’s 50th place, as well as the Rundu Secondary School, which came in at number 19 after moving up 38 places. “The learners who passed grade 12 this year at Rukongo Vision School are not even ten original learners we started with at the school in grade 8, but learners from other schools. The crème de la crème is still coming next year because our first intake will sit for the grade 12 examinations. Watch this space,” said a confident Kapapero. Kapapero said the challenge now is to maintain the top position. “It is the first time ever to be first and now the challenge is marinating the number one place because other regions are working equally hard to clinch our position,” he said. The Oshikoto Region maintained its second spot, followed by the Erongo Region, Otjozondjupa Region, Khomas Region and the Omaheke Region in sixth positions after moving up six places. Oshikoto education director Lameck Kafidi said his teachers continue to work hard and smart. “My teachers are dedicated to their work and my principals are committed and have their eye on the ball. Schools take full responsibility of educating the children, which makes our work easier. “We only step in to provide support services. They are their own bosses and they don’t do shoddy work,” said Kafidi. Kafidi added that his office helps schools set their own targets in line with regional targets. “Competition is very high in the Oshikoto Region; we are not competing with other regions, but against ourselves,” he said. Kafidi noted that the Oshikoto Region also enjoys political backing and support. “Our politicians supply us. A lot of them are based from the Oshikoto Region and they support our schools very much,” he said. Kafidi said the support of the parents also helped a lot. “Parents and communities where the learners live in support the learners greatly. That has been our recipe for success,” said Kafidi. MERJA IILEKA