The Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture’s Oshigambo circuit in the Oshikoto Region had their annual staff conference last week for team building and review of academic performances.
Speaking at the conference, Fillemon Nangolo, Deputy Director: Programmes and Quality Assurance in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture said that principals are the instructional leaders and catalysts of change as they play critical roles in running schools properly.
Nangolo who was a former principal at Oshigambo Senior Secondary School stated that principals must understand that they have the authority to make decisions that are in the best interest of the school.
“The transformation process of our education system relies on the dedication, commitment and ability of principals and their staff to execute their duties with diligence and meticulousness,” he said.
He further said that studies have revealed that there is a direct correlation between the leadership of a school and learner performance.
“The weaker the leadership of the school, the poorer the results of learners,” Nangolo stated.
Nangolo pointed out that the National Conference on Education held in Windhoek (2011) resolved to make changes in the National Curriculum for Basic Education.
“The old curriculum was not corresponding to the needs and demands of the society. Therefore the Namibian Cabinet approved the changes suggested in the conference to address the contemporary issues such as gender-based violence, ICT, corruption, introduction to vocational subjects, motor vehicle accidents, respect of others and many more,” he explained.
Nangolo said the curriculum change wants to ensure that learners take up career paths that assist them to create jobs.
“The change in curriculum requires teachers who are role models, teachers who lead, influence and inspire learners to achieve quality education,” he said.
Moreover the reformed curriculum requires teachers who inspire and motivate individuals’ personalities in order to adopt the concept of creative thinking to generate more ideas which can be used to create jobs and combat the virus of unemployment in the country.
The role of providing auxiliary services to a school is of cardinal importance as that of teaching and learning.
“School administrative officers, you are the first point of interaction with the community, customer relations management should be central to your day to day dealing,” he narrated.
At the same conference Aletta Eises, Director of Education, Arts and Culture of Oshikoto Region stated that the performance of Oshigambo circuit should not be around 68.4 per cent but around 90 per cent.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency