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Regional Directorates of Education

Kunene Region

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During the 2005/2006 financial year, the region set for itself the following core objectives:

· Ensuring school going age children access to quality education by improving the management of schools, monitoring of standards, providing support to teachers and learners in order to improve teaching and learning in every classroom;

· Improving the rendering of service to schools;

· Creating an environment conducive to learning by providing and maintaining the necessary physical facilities and providing drinking water to schools;

· Encouraging the development of life long learning in the region and ensuring that information resources are available;

· Sensitising teachers and learners on HIV and AIDS.

Inspectors and advisory teachers monitored standards at under performing schools. The Grade 10 examination results of 5 out of 10 schools have improved. Elias Amxab Combined School has improved with almost 70%. The other half of the schools’ examination results were the poorest in the country. Newly appointed principals were inducted by Inspectorate. With the introduction of the Regional Performance Standards, Plan of Action for Academic Results and the National Standards and Performance Indicators the schools now comply with School Development Plans.

Workshops for the Implementation of the National Standards and Performance Indicators were conducted for principals to ensure smooth implementation at their schools. For Kunene this is not a totally new thing because the Regional Performance Standards were already implemented. Circuit Management Meetings were held as scheduled on the annual program of the region.

Regional schemes of work for all subjects in all Grades for all schools were introduced and will be fully implemented for the rest of 2006. The aim is to improve on the standard and quality of education. The first Science Exhibition of Kunene took place during 2005 and was very successful. It has now become an annual event in the region. On the National Science Fair, three projects won medals, one silver and two bronzes, and one project won the Special Prestigious Award. Sixty new trainees were enrolled in the BETD INSET programme in August 2005 while 37 BETD in-service teachers graduated in March 2006. The TRC’s assisted teachers in the production of teaching material and sensitised schools on the service rendered by the TRC’s. TRC managers attended cluster management meetings to inform cluster centre principals what TRC’s expect from them and vice-versa. A survey was conducted on the specific needs of subject teachers. Experienced Lower primary teachers presented demonstration lessons to assist those colleagues who still don’t have the skills to teach reading.

The appointment of a Regional School Counsellor for the region and a donation of three computers and printers from Global Fund will definitely make a difference in Special/Inclusive Education and HIV and AIDS during 2006. The region’s Inclusive Education Program is ongoing. Emphasis is placed on assessment, identification and early intervention to enable children with disabilities to attend mainstream schools where possible. Workshops were held where teachers were trained in Inclusive Education. One new special class was opened at Otjikondo Primary School. Guidance and Counselling workshops were held in the Outjo and Khorixas clusters. Learners with complex special needs were assessed and referred to Special Schools.

Although General Services is still left with only clerks, the routine work of procurement was done on time. Orders were completed, textbooks were delivered, stationery and cleaning materials were packed and delivered. The labourers of the Regional Office and the Planning Office put a huge effort into the repair of broken furniture.

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Capital Projects, with the exception of Epupa Unit, will be completed during April/May 2006, even if building sites were handed over very late. These capital projects include an assortment of structures such as classrooms, administration blocks, storerooms pit latrines, laboratories and teacher accommodation. The beneficiary schools were Queen Sophia primary school, Kamanjab combined school, Jack Francis primary school, Otjondeka primary school, Ombombo combined school and Okanguati combined school.

Only emergency renovations were carried out where needed because the budget could not be spent fully due to the delays at the Head Office of the Department of Works in Windhoek. Documents were sent back and forth due to insignificant issues like a name stamp which is not original. The region secured a horizontal water tank for the delivering of water to schools. The region is still of the opinion that the providing of water and the drilling of boreholes should not the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.

The highlight for the year was the celebration of the Adult Learners Week which was celebrated in style in every constituency. Councillors, DABE staff and Opuwo Youth organised the event in Opuwo with the Deputy Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture as the guest speaker. The division of Lifelong Learning still experienced a serious shortage of staff. The RLO and two DLO posts are still vacant. The Family Literacy Project was piloted in Khorixas at the Versteende Woud Primary School with 26 parents participating. Opuwo Public Library is now fully operational with the new building completed. Kamanjab Public Library does not have posts and staff cannot be appointed. A Literacy Promoter was seconded to run the Library. The CLDC at Khorixas operated smoothly although the centre does not have an appointed clerical assistant. Many interesting projects like vegetable gardening, animal husbandry, tree planting and horse racing has been introduced to the public through the centre. Training in basic German will be introduced soon for tour guides. Education Officers will assist DABE with the training of DLO’s and Promoters on AUPE module content. The piloting of the Adult Skills Development for Self-Employment Project has proved to be successful and could be extended to other parts of the country. A planning meeting to re-train the DLO’s is already scheduled.

RACE enjoys a fully staffed office that stores information and resources on HIV and a newly compiled HIV Film Library with dozens of videos. Many teachers were trained and assisted in monitoring and evaluating the curriculum. Many schools completed UNICEF’s Junior Window of Hope and also the first and second Senior Window of Hope.

A member of RACE sits on the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Forum. Members of RACE lead HIV and AIDS Awareness workshops inside and outside the educational sector and also discussion groups for teenage learners. RACE, along with the American Peace Corps, sponsored its first Girls Club with 35 full time members. The girls talk openly about their lives and their future. They also paint the Children’s Ward and Children’s Intensive Care at the Opuwo Hospital. RACE was a principal player in World AIDS Day providing T-shirts and condoms to all Kunene constituencies.

· The shortage of transport and an insufficient S&T budget remains the main constraints of all the divisions and sections. Some of the planned activities were cancelled due to the above-mentioned. The shortage of staff is hampering the administration and smooth functioning of the region.

· The delays by the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication are a serious concern. Contractors are appointed very late and cannot finish the projects before the end of the financial year. Only emergency repairs could be done to buildings due to a very limited budget for renovations.

· The region needs about 10 new vehicles and a more favourable S&T budget to reach set targets. The allocation of funds for travelling should be calculated according to kilometres to schools and not per capita funding as is the case.

· The staff establishments of regions should be finalised as soon as possible in order to advertise and fill vacancies.

· The advertising and evaluating of tenders should either be decentralised to regions, or the Ministry should work with an anticipated budget in order to appoint contractors during March for Phase 1 and the first payments should be paid during April. More funds should be allocated to the renovation budget.

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