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Directorates  

Head Office Directorates  

Directorate of Programmes And Quality Assurance 

INTRODUCTION

In order to realize the broad goals of providing equitable access to quality education for all Namibian learners the Directorate of Educational Programme Implementation (EPI) is tasked with the following responsibilities:

• Overall monitoring and evaluation of educational programmes for primary and secondary schools through out the country.
• Monitoring and evaluation of education programmes for children with special educational needs and the provision of support through training, guidance and counselling, speech therapy, and audio-logical services.
• Overall coordination of the functions of the inspectorate and hostels in all the regions, and the provision of guidance and advice on policy implementation

MAIN ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Early Childhood Development (ECD and Primary Education

Consultations were held with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW), the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED), and other stakeholders to harmonise the curriculum for ECD care givers.   I addition, the ECD plan for the year 2006 was finalised, ECD trainers from the regions were trained and a joint UNICEF / GRN workshop reviewed all ECD activities.  

The third conference on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) that was held in Windhoek coincided with the launch of the OVC National Policy. This was followed by a visit to the Caprivi region together with UNICEF staff to explore ways and means of providing support OVC in schools.  Another meeting was held in Otjiwarongo to review and assess the progress made with regard to the plight of OVC in selected regions and how to move forward with new agreement as from 2006 - 2010.    

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 Secondary Education

The secondary education division deployed of 99 volunteer teachers for Mathematics, Science and English in the northern regions and visited more than 120 examination centres in Namibia, on request from the Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment (DNEA), to ensure that the external Junior Secondary School ()JSC and Cambridge examinations were conducted within the set standards. The division also coordinated the placement of more than 12 000 Grade 11 learners who were successful in the JSC examination.  The JSC and I/HGCSE examination results were reviewed to identify major trends and to devise possible strategies to improve the performance of teachers and learners. Other activities carried out by the division were:

·              The co-ordination and facilitation of applications for study permits by about 2500 foreign learners studying at schools in Namibia ;  

·              The development of rules and guidelines for the successful implementation of the Education Development Fund;  

·              The preparation of a submission to the MPCC for the provision of computer programmes for effective school administration in 488 secondary schools in Namibia ;  

·              The development and implementation of 21 instruments empowering secondary school principals to improve school management, teaching and learning in the classroom and effective leadership;    

·              Developing guidelines to improve the reading, writing and spelling skills of secondary school learners in English;  

·              Conducting a national survey on staffing norms to review the implementation of the staffing norms policy; and  

·              The introduction of a project to develop guidelines to help secondary schools principals in to maintain good discipline in their schools.

The “Customer Service Charter for Primary and Secondary Schools” in Namibia was revised.  

DIVISION:  INSPECTORATE AND HOSTELS MANAGEMENT

The Inspectorate finalized the MAIN ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS:

staffing norms for hostels staff. The norms have been approved will be implemented in the regions based on natural attrition, so that no staff member may lose his/her job. A hostel of excellence competition was launched to determine the best-managed and cleanest hostel in the country. In-service training of hostel officers from the Oshikoto Region was conducted by the Chief Hostels Officer. I addition, hostel registers for the use in the catering contract were reprinted and distributed to all regions. Only one trimester workshop for hostels inspectors and hostels officers could be conducted due to budgetary constraints.  

Officials from the National School Feeding Programme (NSFP) conducted a number of training sessions to equip the NSFP coordinators in schools in the Kunene (Opuwo) and Otjozondjupa (Tsumkwe) regions with skills and information in handling the NSFP activities. Ongoing monitoring is being conducted on supplier’s warehouses and schools for effective and smooth administration of the Programme. There have been improvements in the work of the regions where NSFP officials had conducted training and provided support.  

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DIVISION: SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMMES

 Division (DSSP)

1.                 MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS

      The division solicited and got engaged in preparatory exercise on admitting blind Grade 11 learners and those with low vision from the School for the Visually Impaired (NISE) at the Windhoek Technical High School in the Khomas Education Region. Specialized teaching and learning equipment for seven visually impaired Grade 11 learners at the school have been purchased.  It is hoped that this will enhance the implementation of inclusive education at the school. Special consideration on tests and examinations for sensory impaired learners is under way. The first phase of the construction of the Outapi Special School in the Omusati Region when completed will allow the school to enroll the first special class of Grade 6 learners January 2007, and to be fully completed with all required technical workshops in 2008.  

            NISE: School for the Visually Impaired is now offering a Computer Practice Course utilizing the JAWS programme. Eluwa Special School also utilizes the JAWS Speaking Computer software as a communication media to the sighted world. Klein Aub Special School has entered into pre-vocational training phases comprising of Home Ecology, Woodwork, Welding and Computer/Secretarial courses.   The syllabi for learners with mental impairments were reviewed and are in the process of being finalized. A Namibian Sign Language for Beginners was compiled by Eluwa Special School teachers and this document is in circulation. Also, a programme was drafted on Sign Language, Braille reading and writing to be offered to literacy promoters in adult education.  

Teachers and non-teaching staff received upgrading workshops and in-service training in their respective disciplines (deafness, blindness, autism, mental impairment, basic assessment, management, cleanliness in hostel, parental involvement in deaf education, and operating an ear-mould lab etc.).  

ATS (DATS)DIVISION: DIAGNOSTIC, ADVISORY AND TRAINING SERVICES

1.        Main Activities and Achievements

1.1The division conducted diagnostic evaluations which consisted of psychological and scholastic assessment, as well as investigative interviews with teachers and parents.1.2 Counseling and guidance were provided to learners, parents, teachers and other concerned persons. These entail an initial and termination interview with the parent figure(s) which usually involves six or more individual sessions. After one month a follow-up session is usually organized. 1.3Training courses were also conducted for various stake holders on the following specific topics: Basic Counseling Skills, Bereavement Counseling, Assessment, Guidance and Career Counseling, and Play Therapy often times using materials and handouts developed by the DATS staff.  

1.4 Audio-logical and speech therapy services were conducted to help learners at special schools and some regular schools.1.8 Ear mould mini-laboratories were purchased for Eluwa Special School and N.I.S.E. (H.I. Section) for them to be able to produce ear moulds. Calibration, repair and servicing of audiometers were also provided to the Regional School Counsellors. Staff members of EPI were involved in work on specific topics/section of the

Education and Training Sectors Improvement Programme (ETSIP).

1.5      

1.7

PROBLEMS AND CONSTRAINTS

Reluctance by some school authorities to admit OVC and other marginalized children into schools has become a cause for concern officials both at regional and Head office level. During the visits to hostels, it was found that some of the hostels neglected and dirty due to little involvement of school principals.  

There was very little participation by regional of hostel staff in the administration of the NSFP. The manuals that were sent to the regions for distribution to participating units were not delivered. There was also a shortage of special education services (schools and special classes) in all regions. Also, some negative attitudes towards special education and persons with disabilities were obstacle to the realization of Education for All.  Many learners with severe reading and spelling difficulties bordering on dyslexia are often promoted from lower Grades to higher ones annually, although they do not meet the basic competencies of their Grade without receiving compensatory education or remedial tuition at their schools.  

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 The introduction of National standards and performance indicators for schools in Namibia will enable inspectors of education, and Advisory Teachers to re-orient their mindset of inspection and give scientific guidance to school principals and teachers on how to improve the holistic performance of schools. It is strongly recommended that there should be constant monitoring and support visits to hostels and NSFP Units.  The budget allocation for NSFP should be increased and the administration improved, in addition to urgent renovations to dilapidated hostels. There is also a need to provide schools with a manual on “special schools administration” and guidance on how to deal with different types of disabilities, while considering the decentralization of special schools.  

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© Ministry of Education - Namibia 2008
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