Geingob promises 'action' after exam report
President takes overall accountability
The nation is waiting with bated breath on what the head of state will do to arrest the downward spiral of the country's education system.
President Hage Geingob has promised swift action once he receives a much-awaited report into what led to an 85% failure rate in the grade 11 and 12 national exams, whose shocking results were released recently.
Geingob recently demanded a full report into what transpired from education minister Anna Nghipondoka, which will be discussed by Cabinet.
“Necessary decisions and actions will be taken...” the president’s office said yesterday.
In the meantime, Geingob has urged educators to stop pointing fingers at one another over the awful results – which an overwhelming majority of learners who sat for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate ordinary (NSSCO) and the advanced subsidiary (AS) levels last year failing.
Presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari said Geingob took responsibility for the results as head of state.
“The president has listened attentively to all the stakeholders who expressed themselves publicly and would like to inform Namibians that as president and chairperson of Cabinet, the ultimate responsibility and accountability to the nation with regard to the affairs of offices, ministries and agencies resides in him.”
The report will map the way forward regarding attempts to improve the education landscape, he said.
“The president would like to reassure Namibians that following receipt of the report, in the spirit of holding hands, the necessary decisions and actions will be taken to advance the interests of teachers, learners and the education sector in general,” he said.
Attentive
According to Hengari, Geingob is attentive to the needs of teachers.
“As a former teacher, President Geingob is highly attentive to the needs of teachers and the role they play in the education and well-being of our children, including the betterment of Namibia.
"The president has always said it is because of a teacher and education in general that the son of a farmworker becomes the president of a country and the daughter of a domestic worker becomes a medical doctor.”
The head of state further appealed for calm over the recently released results.
“The president would like to appeal to all stakeholders - specifically teachers, learners, parents, the ministry of education and unions - to avoid blaming one another for the dismal results, which everyone agrees are not in the interests of the country. Such an approach of blaming one another is not helpful,” the spokesperson said.
Geingob recently demanded a full report into what transpired from education minister Anna Nghipondoka, which will be discussed by Cabinet.
“Necessary decisions and actions will be taken...” the president’s office said yesterday.
In the meantime, Geingob has urged educators to stop pointing fingers at one another over the awful results – which an overwhelming majority of learners who sat for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate ordinary (NSSCO) and the advanced subsidiary (AS) levels last year failing.
Presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari said Geingob took responsibility for the results as head of state.
“The president has listened attentively to all the stakeholders who expressed themselves publicly and would like to inform Namibians that as president and chairperson of Cabinet, the ultimate responsibility and accountability to the nation with regard to the affairs of offices, ministries and agencies resides in him.”
The report will map the way forward regarding attempts to improve the education landscape, he said.
“The president would like to reassure Namibians that following receipt of the report, in the spirit of holding hands, the necessary decisions and actions will be taken to advance the interests of teachers, learners and the education sector in general,” he said.
Attentive
According to Hengari, Geingob is attentive to the needs of teachers.
“As a former teacher, President Geingob is highly attentive to the needs of teachers and the role they play in the education and well-being of our children, including the betterment of Namibia.
"The president has always said it is because of a teacher and education in general that the son of a farmworker becomes the president of a country and the daughter of a domestic worker becomes a medical doctor.”
The head of state further appealed for calm over the recently released results.
“The president would like to appeal to all stakeholders - specifically teachers, learners, parents, the ministry of education and unions - to avoid blaming one another for the dismal results, which everyone agrees are not in the interests of the country. Such an approach of blaming one another is not helpful,” the spokesperson said.
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