OPUWO- The Deputy Minister of Education Dr David Namwandi said Grade 10 and 12 results for Kunene Region are a disappointment.

At the education stakeholders’ meeting recently held in Opuwo, Namwandi said since 2005 Kunene Region’s education position in terms of national ranking has been deteriorating, and the ministry is very concerned about the situation.

“I was made to understand that the region is provided with qualified teachers, I was made to believe that these teachers receive salaries just like other teachers in other 12 regions, I was made to believe that this region has a functional directorate of education with inspectors of various circuits. So if that is the case, why should the region be the last in two consecutive national rankings?

Why? Why? I want answers,” said the deputy education minister.

“There is no need to pretend that all is well when things are falling apart,” said Namwandi.

The deputy minister, however, maintained that the Ministry of Education will do everything in its power to help the region to improve, provided that inhabitants, including parents teachers, learners and all other stakeholders are willing to help themselves and to be helped to improve.

“Remember, where there is a will, there is a way,” he said.

According to Namwandi, the ministry senses a high level of intolerance, and it is believed to be one of the main contributors to poor performance. It is reported inhabitants of Kunene Region lack tribal, political and social tolerance, which is said to be hindering the region’s progress in terms of education and development.

Namwandi thus urged the people of Kunene to stop paying lip-service, adding that schools should not be turned into battle fields for political and tribal differences.

“Should we (the ministry) discover that there are school principals, directors or inspectors and or teachers that are practising the above, the ministry will take drastic measures to rectify the situation,” he warned.

The education deputy minister urged stakeholders in education to put their differences aside for the sake of the Namibian child, development and a better tomorrow.

Namwandi further warned against laziness, late-coming, missing out on deadlines, ghost marks and teachers that are simply seated at schools while they have practically retired.

Namwandi thus urged those teachers to either pull up their socks or to simply quit.

During the meeting stakeholders, mostly traditional leaders, raised the issue of mobile schools. While some said the level of such schools has deteriorated since the government took over from the Nama’s Project, some maintain that teachers teaching at mobile schools are teaching under extreme conditions without facilities such as tents, chairs and desks.

Parents thus urged government to turn tent schools into conventional schools.

Parents were also concerned that learners in government schools were compelled to buy stationery, despite the fact that a number of parents in Kunene Region are unemployed and thus cannot afford to buy stationery.

“So much money has been availed to the ministry, but parents are still buying stationery. I can afford buying stationery for my child, but there are parents who cannot afford at all,” said one of the traditional leaders.

In his response, Namwandi said government has already registered five tent schools as conventional schools. Among them, construction of Epembe, Epupa and KM Muyundu have already commenced.

He added that talks for education at government schools to be totally free with all expenses paid, are underway.

“One day we might not have a school development fund, but I will come back to you on that,” he said.