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17 January 2008 Question: PLEASE tell me what school fees are for? During the years of 1980 to 1994 school fees were affordably low and the learners were provided with free books, pens and many more. Why now that the school fees are so high we are expected to provide exercise books of our children? Ministers of Education tell us, you are milking the parents a lot. Answer: The Ministry does provide for stationeries, textbooks and exercise books although not in full due to limited funds. This is why parents are requested to assist the Ministry by purchasing stationeries and exercise books that have not been provided to learners. Question: What is wrong with the Ministry of Education? My IGCSE certificate and the preliminary statement of results have different dates of births. Answer: Please contact the Public Relations Office at 061-2933358/66. 15 January 2008 Question: Learners progress reports of last year are being withheld, because SDF was not paid. Is the Ministry aware of this and is it not a contravention of the Education Act?
The Ministry is aware that School Principals continue to withhold progress reports despite being reminded every year to follow proper procedures. No principal is allowed to withhold progress reports. That is very clear and YES it is a contravention of the Education Act. Question: Answer: Question:
I am unable to confirm that learners have been referred to the Khomas region, because Khomas is one of the regions where school placement at the beginning of the year is a problem. I would suggest that you call the Regional Office for further comment. Ohangwena region and Erongo region are again two more regions that face these problems every year. However, other regions face the same problem, but not to the same extent. Question:
11 January 2008 Question: Can the Ministry of Education please tell me what the requirements, criteria to be eligible for a bursary or scholarship after Grade 12? Your immediate response will be most appreciated. Answer: The Ministry does not offer bursaries and also does not offer scholarships for undergraduate studies. The Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) in the Ministry of Education only offers student loans for Undergraduate Studies (i.e. Diploma and Degrees) and Scholarship for Postgraduate Studies (i.e. Masters and Doctorate Degrees). The student loans are awarded to students who are orphans, those who are studying fields of high priority and those who’se parents cannot afford to pay for their studies. The loans are awarded to students who’se parents’ combined income is N$ 150 000 and less, before deductions. However, the NSFAF can only assist a few needy students, due to limited funds. The Fund receives close to 18 000 applications every year, but is only able to assist around 3000-4000 new students each year.
9 January 2008 Question: The Ministry of Education does not provide support to needy students further their studies. Some of us have applied for study loans for three consecutive years without success. How are we going to accomplish the objectives of Vision 2030 if you don’t provide financial assistance for studies? Answer: The Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) in the Ministry of Education is unfortunately unable to assist every student applying for a loan. The NSFAF receives close to 18 000 applications every year, but is only able to assist around 3000-4000 new students each year. The Selection Committee selects students with good Grade 12 results who are from very disadvantaged backgrounds. Since its inception, the NSFAF has assisted over 22 000 students to the tune of close to N$ 400 million.
14 December 2007 Question: Please, Ministry of Education must pay the study loans of Unam students since we will not get our results on 14 December 2008 if they have not settled our accounts yet. We are afraid because it’s difficult to pay on our own to get our results. This is a serious issue please help the students out. Answer: The Ministry of Education would like to assure you that these debts will be settled before the end of the current academic year, December 2007, which is also the end of the financial year of your institutions. The Public Relations Officer at the University of Namibia has also confirmed that all students who wrote the final year exams of 2007 will receive their results. Question: I was a relief teacher in the Erongo Region and want to know what rights do we have? Relief teachers in Khomas Region received their full pay for December, but we were denied that payment. We have the same qualifications regardless the region we are working in. I want to know why this is the case? Let’s be fair and stop differentiating. Answer: The salary payment depends on the conditions and period of appointments for relief teachers. Relief teachers who were appointed until December 2007 are entitled to receive their December salaries. Those who were appointed until November 2007 receive their salary up to November only. Relief teachers should consult the Human Resources Offices in their respective regions to study their conditions of appointment in order to be remunerated accordingly.
30 November 2007 Question: We as unemployed teachers for the year 2007 are looking up to the ministry to do something for us next year because this year we were called to submit our names as well as qualifications to specify the area of specialisation of an individual to the personnel office at Ondangwa and also at the educational office of Oshana. We know our personal details are still there with you, though nothing has been done so far. Please do something. Answer: The exercise, which was done in all 13 regions, was meant to locate unemployed qualified teachers with their field of specialisation in order to request regional education offices to use the list of names to consider them first and employ them when there are vacancies in their regions. Regional offices are still using these lists. Teacher graduates are further urged to apply for vacancies at schools in rural areas to increase their chances of securing employment. Question: How will the Ministry of Education improve education? I think teachers are overloaded with work, e.g. lesson planning teaching, preparing activities, setting test and exams and marking etc. that is too much for one person. My proposal is this, why doesn’t the Ministry of Education apply the same system to all the phases that write exams like what is being done at Grade 10 and 12 at the end of the year. Here I mean there must be two teachers for each subject… Answer: It is impossible for the Ministry of Education to employ two teachers for each subject at every school. The Ministry is already the largest single employer in the country, employing close to 70% of public service staff. That is around 38 000 employees. Teachers are more than 20 000. If we had to go with your suggestion, our whole budget would just be for salaries, considering that 70-80% of the Ministry’s budget currently goes to paying of salaries. Lesson planning, teaching, preparing activities, setting tests and exams and marking are all part of the teaching profession and it is best done by one teacher in order for him/her to assess his/her learners best. You seriously cannot expect another teacher to plan for you what you are going to teach the next day. It will not work. School holidays are there to allow teachers to take time out from their hectic and noble profession and teachers should make use of it.
28 November 2007 Question: I read an article in the paper two weeks ago that the minimum qualification for a secondary school teacher is a four-year degree and a three-year diploma for primary teachers. In colleges we major in different subjects for secondary level grade 8-10 subjects for three years with our minors for upper primary 5-7 in different subjects. My question is why then do colleges offer secondary level, which does not qualify us to teach. Answer: Student graduates from the Colleges of Education doing Majors in Junior Secondary School Subjects (Grade 8-10) are eligible to teach these grades in their areas of specialisation. Question: Advisory teachers who mark external examinations after years of being divorced from teaching a particular subject are failing learners…They fail to organise any workshops for the teachers. Answer: Advisory teachers are appointed to give guidance to teachers in their respective subjects and how best to teach the subject in a way that learners will be able to understand better. This is done through visits to schools, observations, and workshops. It would have helped if you had been more specific in order for us to give you a clear and proper answer. Question: Why did the Ministry of Education decided to introduce the revised curriculum for Life Science without the prescribed textbooks for the curriculum…We want prescribed textbooks with the introduction of the curriculum. When learners fail in school, the problem is the teachers, not teaching. Answer: It is true that sometimes the curriculum is developed while textbooks are being printed. However, teachers make use of the new teaching guides and materials to teach, while books are being printed. What is important is that learners have a teacher who acts a mediator between the textbook and the learner. Question: Imagine a person right from a college (education) having to wait for four to six months without pay, especially in the remote areas…The Ministry should try to speed up the payments of salaries for new teachers if they expect good performance from teachers. Answer: There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever with regard to the late payment of teacher salaries. No one would want to receive his salary four to six months late. The Ministry is working hard to solve this problem and I am also happy to inform you that we have made considerable progress in this regard.
26 November 2007 Question: How is primary education in Namibia free if parents still pay 100% for hostel and the school development fund? The government should stop singing this song, because primary education isn’t free at all. Answer: Primary Education is free for all in the sense that every child under the age of 16 has the right to education as per the Namibian Constitution. The Ministry of Education does not deny any child admission to a government school due to parents’ failure to pay the school development fund. In that sense, education is free. However, contribution from the parents is needed to meet the Government halfway in addressing the needs of all schools in the country. Question: Is the Luderitz Secondary School privately owned or a Government School? This school is sucking the blood of parents with its high school fees…Remember, not all people are wealthy. Students are even told to buy notebooks on their own. I thought education was free… Answer: The School Board of each school determines, with the consultation of the parents, the amount of the school fee. It is therefore imperative that all parents attend school meetings where such important issues are discussed and decisions are made. Question: We are having a problem at Okahandja Secondary School. Teachers are dating schoolgirls and impregnating them but nothing is being done against them. There was a time when a senior teacher was accused of impregnating a Grade 12 learner but it happened late in the third term so we only discovered it when she was already done with school? Answer: The Okahandja Senior School has never dealt with a case of school teachers impregnating a school girl. If there are people with specific information on this matter, it is their responsibilities to inform the school principal or the Ministry of Education so that the issue is dealt with procedurally. Question: I would like to find out from the Ministry of Education what exactly happens to a learner who is caught cheating in the final Grade 12 exams? Information from the Ministry states that such a learner’s results would be declared null and void. So what is the point of the disciplinary hearings? Answer: The Ministry has a malpractice committee on board to handle malpractice cases. Based on the evidence provided by the school, a decision will be taken by the committee and the candidate will be informed on the outcome. The candidate has the right to appeal to the board if he or she is not satisfied with the decision taken by the committee. There is no disciplinary hearing in any of the process. Question: I am really disappointed by my fellow Namibians. Why don’t they like to pay back their government loans? Where do they think other poor students will get the funds to study? Honorable Mbumba it’s high time you take action to recover every cent. It’s not fair to us who are paying back. We also have family to support. Answer: The Ministry of Education is looking at how it can improve the recovery of loans from the students who have benefited from the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF). Students who have benefited from the fund are urged to repay their loans to enable the NSFAF to assist more students. Defaulters will be dealt with accordingly. Files of students, who fail to make arrangements for re-payment with the Ministry, are forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General, where further action will be taken. Students found guilty of not paying back their loans will be charged with paying the legal fee on top of the loan and interest they are supposed to pay back. Question: The Ministry of Education must give authentic clarification and advice to the public of the phases of education. What is junior and senior primary phase? What is a combined school?... Is Ipumbu a senior secondary school if so what is Erundu in Oshakati? Please rescue us out of this storm? Answer: The lower primary phase is from Grade 1-4, upper primary from Grade 5-7, junior secondary from Grade 8-10, senior secondary from Grade 11-12. We have Primary Schools (Grade 1-7), Junior Secondary Schools (Grade 8-10), Combined Schools (Grade 1-10 or Grade 5-10), Secondary Schools (Grade 8-12), and Senior Secondary Schools (Grade 10-12). Erundu is a Combined School, because it has a combination of both primary and secondary grades (1-12). Ipumbu is a Secondary School, because it has all the secondary grades (8-12).
23 November 2007 Question: I want to hear from the Regional Education Director if former whites-only schools such as PSK in Keetmanshoop are allowed to withhold reports of learners who can’t afford to pay school development fund/fees… Answer: The Education Act clearly states that no principal or teacher may in any way withhold the progress report, results or certification of examinations of learners due to non-payment of the School Development Fund. Schools should find reasonable means of communicating to parents about their obligations to settle their outstanding School Development Fund contributions. Every school principal has a copy of the Education Act and they are encouraged to adhere to the rules and regulations. A circular was also issued this year to remind principals on this issue. Question: Allow me space in your newspaper. I am one of the parents of a child at Khomasdal PS and a member of the school board. I am tired of corruption at that school. Our kids don’t have books and the school used N$ 60 000 for a tour to South Africa from the School Development Fund, because the money collected from learners for the trip disappeared. There is always money disappearing but nothing is done. Please investigate these irregularities. Answer: It is true, money did disappear. The Ministry of Education is aware of this and an investigation is underway. As a school board member, I assume that you are informed about all school matters, especially with regards to finances. Question: Does the Ministry of Education inspect schools to ensure that children in primary schools are indeed learning anything? Children in Grade 1 to 7 in the north cannot read or write English and this is the reason why the performance at higher levels is poor. Answer: The Ministry of Education has appointed Inspectors in all regions to carry out regular inspections at the schools they are responsible for. The Ministry relies on the public and most especially the parents and the learners to inform us that Inspectors are doing their job or not. It would have helped if you had been more specific with regards to the schools that are not being visited by the Inspectors. Question: Why is the Ministry of Education employing people with Grade 12 as teachers…? Answer: You would realise that most of the schools where people with Grade 12 are employed are situated in the rural areas. Teacher graduates with a diploma/degree are reluctant to apply to schools in rural schools, forcing the Ministry to recruit people with Grade 12. You should however also keep in mind, that some of those recruited, are recruited on a temporary basis, while the permanent teacher is on leave, e.g study leave. Question: Teacher graduates from Zimbabwe are not being appointed. We have suspicion that vacancies are reserved for relatives of management. Answer: It would be appreciated if you could furnish the Ministry with specific information in order for the Ministry to investigate the allegations. Question: Rundu College of Education is full of corruption. I’m a third-year student who is a day student. RCE does not want to refund us our money for the hostel, and we are almost closing. Answer: The Ministry of Education does not refund money to students studying through the Ministry’s study loan scheme. This has been the practice since last year. This is due to the poor recovery of loans awarded to students in the past. Question: The Grade 12 exams this year were very difficult. It seems as if the Ministry wanted to prove that they are better than Cambridge… Answer: If a learner had studied and prepared for the exams properly, the exams would be very easy, whilst it would be difficult for the learner who did not prepare properly. However, the results of the exams for this year will give the Ministry an indication of the complexity of the localised exams. Question: The Grade 10 Nov/Dec exams this year was not an exam. It resembled more of a Grade 7 test. We need exams that can make our kids think? Answer: Again, different candidates view the complexity of the exams differently. If a learner had studied and prepared for the exams properly, the exams would be very easy, whilst it would be difficult for the learner who did not prepare properly.
21 November 2007
Question: The Ministry is supposed to design staff development Programmes to upgrade teachers they refer to as under-qualified…It’s unfair to dismiss a person who was qualified at the time he entered the profession. Answer: Namibia has several institutions were teachers can be trained to upgrade their level of qualifications. Teachers are therefore urged to make use of these institutions. The issue of whether the Ministry of Education will employ unqualified and under-qualified teachers next year (2008) is still under discussion. Question: Swakopmund Secondary School is employing foreign teachers and paying them exorbitant wages from the school development fund while there are complains of new graduate teachers not finding jobs. Answer: The school only employed one foreign teacher during the last school term until the 20 th of November 2007. The reason for this is that there were no qualified and experienced Namibian teachers who applied for the position of HIGCSE Biology position at that time. The post has however been re-advertised and qualified applicants who meet the requirements are thus encouraged to apply. Question: Learners of Shifidi Junior Primary School are still being taught under sheds without chairs and desks. Answer: The school was amongst those visited by senior officials in the Ministry last week. The Ministry is doing everything possible to address the situation at the school and all schools lacking in this regard. Question: There are no improvements at Nehale Senior Secondary School hostel while we are paying hostel developments fees. Answer: The hostel of Nehale SSS is one of the oldest hostels in the country and it has been earmarked for renovation. As soon as funds are available, renovations will take place with several other schools such as Uukule SSS’s hostel.
19 November 2007 Question: Minister of Education promised us, Government bursary loan holders, that we will get our loan money in August, but until now we haven’t received anything. …We suffered buying books, making copies, taxi fees and paying accommodation. Now some of us are indebted and have difficulty in paying our creditors. Answer: The study loan from the Ministry of Education only covers for tuition fees, books, and other related costs. The loan does not cover for accommodation and transport. Tertiary institutions make arrangements for learners to purchase books and study materials from certain bookstores until such a time when the Ministry pays the student loans. |
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© Ministry of Education - Namibia
2008 |
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