The great English debate
We have closely been following the debate on social media regarding the core requirements needed for university admission with a particular emphasis on the official language, English.
Many are of the view that English should not be a requirement for university admission or, at least, it should not deter students from entering university provided that they fared well in other subjects and have enrolled for programmes that do not necessarily place a huge premium on English.
This is surely an interesting debate in that it will also help us unpack the real issues affecting the performance of learners in both Grades 10 and 12. Various commentators, including Teachers' Union of Namibia president Mahongora Kavihuha, made thought-provoking observations when interviewed about this particular topic by Namibian Sun. We are in total concurrence with the TUN leader when he mentioned that our system has not allowed for flexibility when it comes to university admissions.
We have in past years failed to move with the times so much so that we don't take other achievements and experiences into account. Yes, English is important, especially at lower levels where learners need to structure sentences, use proper grammar and have an overall better understanding of how the language works. However, this is proving to be a huge barrier considering that the traditional Namibian education system offers limited quality options for learners from poor communities and unequal access to quality education.
Despite poor teaching techniques, the majority of Namibian learners are not exposed to high levels of teaching. And that is why school standards are struggling to keep up with higher education requirements. It is thus essential to focus on a holistic approach to student education and tackle the issues at the heart of the problem. We also believe that universities should start looking at the huge range of different talents and strengths on the part of students in order to be part of the solution to this impasse. This must be an ongoing conversation and let us approach this issue with sober minds.
Many are of the view that English should not be a requirement for university admission or, at least, it should not deter students from entering university provided that they fared well in other subjects and have enrolled for programmes that do not necessarily place a huge premium on English.
This is surely an interesting debate in that it will also help us unpack the real issues affecting the performance of learners in both Grades 10 and 12. Various commentators, including Teachers' Union of Namibia president Mahongora Kavihuha, made thought-provoking observations when interviewed about this particular topic by Namibian Sun. We are in total concurrence with the TUN leader when he mentioned that our system has not allowed for flexibility when it comes to university admissions.
We have in past years failed to move with the times so much so that we don't take other achievements and experiences into account. Yes, English is important, especially at lower levels where learners need to structure sentences, use proper grammar and have an overall better understanding of how the language works. However, this is proving to be a huge barrier considering that the traditional Namibian education system offers limited quality options for learners from poor communities and unequal access to quality education.
Despite poor teaching techniques, the majority of Namibian learners are not exposed to high levels of teaching. And that is why school standards are struggling to keep up with higher education requirements. It is thus essential to focus on a holistic approach to student education and tackle the issues at the heart of the problem. We also believe that universities should start looking at the huge range of different talents and strengths on the part of students in order to be part of the solution to this impasse. This must be an ongoing conversation and let us approach this issue with sober minds.
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Namibian Sun
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