Tutor

He says the coaching empowers the learners to grow intellectually and helps them to realise their true potential.

“A tutor learner relationship is just not about the subject you are teaching, it is also about having an impact in that learner's life and making sure you teach them about life and motivate them to work hard,” Hashikutuva said.

He pointed out that subjects such as English, accounting, mathematics, physical science and life science are among subjects that many learners are finding hard to understand.

“The grades will show you that subjects such as English have a high failure rate as well as accounting, economics and business studies.

“I have seen that subjects that are applied or that require application are very difficult for many learners,” said Hashikutuva.

Hashikutuva says he usually helps learners based on the subjects that they are struggling with, saying he does not target learners who are performing badly. “What we normally do at AAA is to target the subject and not the learners and we analyse the subjects they find difficult and then assist them in those specific subjects,” added Hashikutuva.

According to him, when he started offering tutorials, he realised that many of the learners he was assisting were struggling because they had a low self-esteem and the environment they live in was also an issue.

“I think the environment the learners come from plays a huge role on how they perform and depending on they live, it can distract them from concentrating.

“Many students living in urban areas such as Windhoek have access to the internet and other resources that can help them with their studies compared to learners in remote rural areas with poor infrastructure. Due to poor learning environments, some learners perform badly,” said Hashikutuva.

Hashikutuva also said as a tutor, punctuality has been a huge stumbling block in his path of providing quality education to learners. “Punctuality is sometimes a problem because you agree with certain learners to start at a certain time and date, but they come late for classes and sometimes miss important lessons. Sometimes schools cannot provide classes to us because there would be functions booked to take place in those classes so that also hampers our work,” Hashikutuva added.

According to him, one of the biggest problems in the education system is that it is not functionally adequate, saying it is one sided and it does not incorporate all the aspects of many different learners. “The education system needs to take a look at the individual strengths and weaknesses of learners and focus on that.

For example, for learners who are very good in visuals they can be taught in colours or in a way that is appealing to them and for learners who like to listen, one can use audio instructions while learners with a passion for reading, are given their instruction in the form of reading exercises,” emphasised Hashikutuva.

He says career guidance for learners is important and parents and teachers need to guide learners on what careers paths to take.

“Many learners go to school because it is a requirement and thus usually do not know what career path to follow. Career guidance is important because it shows them a path in their life. If a learner knows the kind of career he or she wants to take, they must work on them from the very beginning in order to make better career choices,” advised Hashikutuva.

The University of Namibia accounting undergraduate says he usually tracks the progress of his learners by communicating regularly with the learners' schools for a constant update on their performance.

“Communication with the schools is very important. I usually make sure that I check the reports and see how well the learners are performing and look for subjects and areas they can improve on. As a tutor it is very important that you communicate constantly with the learners and schools and to always check on the learners' progress,” said Hashikutuva in conclusion.

Shona Ngava