The rebirth of private school education

The Gardner Academy in Windhoek began as RECS Childcare in August 2011 as an afterschool programme focused on teaching through Art. In 2012, they had their first full-day intake with five full-day students, which then saw the academy relocating in 2013, to the Pavlov Campus.
The Gardner Academy which is categorised as a Low Cost Private School (LCP) operates with a strategic plan to establish a network of LCPSs throughout Namibia. The Gardner Academy plans on building from the bottom up. The academy promises that they will ensure that every level is firmly built on a great foundation, and hopes to have their first graduating class before 2021.
The Gardner Academy has its foundation in Multiple Intelligence Theory as well as the Reggio Emilia Approach, which are one of the ways to develop a teaching plan and approach its delivery in a specific manner. The Reggio Emilia approach is a modern and unique philosophy that uses art as expression and sees the children as strong, capable and confident.
“We believe that these pedagogical influences offer a learning context for the 21st century students. Unlike traditional classrooms, students are encouraged to ask questions and explore possible outcomes and answers. Gardener teachers don’t just give answers to students; they help them discover the answer for themselves” according to the academy’s website.
Some of the staff members include Fortune Mutemaringa as the principle, Verena Salzmann as the Head of Kindergarten, Roeline Hansen as the Heady of Primary and Lettisia Tjambari as the Academic Coordinator.
The school believes that on-going training is the key to offering a stimulating, fun and effective learning environment. The teachers at the academy hold national qualifications but still undergo Gardner training to ensure a deeper understanding of the schools teaching techniques.
At Garner, the classrooms are said to be the third teacher. “We ensure our classrooms are flexible, comfortable, with a homelike feel, Students have more freedom to move around as they explore and learn.” The students’ parents are seen as partners in the students learning journey. The partnership is said to ensure close connections between the school and the student’s homes.
The Gardner Academy is a low-cost private school that is passionate about offering a great private school education to a wider range of Namibian students. “We do this not by compromising on the quality of education. Instead this is done by creativity, effective planning and leadership, as well as a constant review of efficient resource management” the academy outlines on its website.
The school was founded by Audrey Taylor-Akwenye who is an American from Mississippi, United States of America, who has been living in Namibia since 2007. She graduated from Millsaps College with a Bachelors of Arts in History Education with a minor in French. She currently works as the Curriculum Director and Managing Director at Gardner Academy.
Thobias Akwenye, the other co-founder of the school is a Namibian who has extensive experience in various industries in Namibia. Prior to establishing Gardner Academy, Thobias worked as a corporate executive in banking. He currently works as the Business Manager at Gardner.
The school hosted a two-day workshop over the past weekend which designed to give inspiration to passionate and dedicated Namibian teachers. The workshop was attended by teachers from across the country and was held at the Village Opera House.
The aim of the workshop was to inspire teachers and give them tools to grow. Different aspects were covered at the workshop such as innovation in the classroom, behaviour management and creative teaching techniques.
Audrey Akwenye highlighted the importance of the workshop that took place. “The focus of the workshop is to give teachers concrete methods to build critical thinking skills as well as research and look for problem solving skills with students, in the primary phase. This will boost each teacher’s current understanding of teaching and enhance their current skills and knowledge,” she said.
The workshop will host a range of speakers including Tessa Browne who co-founded the Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance and is one of the national representatives of the Reggio Children International Network. She has written several articles on the spread of Reggio inspiration in South Africa that have been published in Sweden, Italy, USA and in South Africa. A range of topics were discussed by a panel which looked at “differentiating learning to meet student needs,” as well as “bringing beauty and joy into the classroom. “Teachers are urged to attend such workshops and similar events will be hosted throughout the course of the year.
Akwenye urged all sponsors to recognise the potential of such platforms and asked them to come on board, to help build an educated nation.
Keith Vries