NSSU seeks more power
The school sports union has been criticised for not extending its operations to all schools in the country, but the union's coordinator is determined to prove the critics wrong.
In its efforts to strengthen school sports, the National School Sports Union (NSSU) wants to have more power over the learners.
The national coordinator Solly Duiker told Namibian Sun that talks are on track between the education and sports ministries.
He said at the moment NSSU cannot dictate what sport the learners should do as that mainly relies on the school's management, but is now happy that a document has already been prepared and will soon be sealed
“We will soon have the signed agreement between the two ministries, and that will be an important memorandum of understanding because only then will we have the power to go to schools and say they must do sports else we will report them to the authorities,” he said.
Duiker maintained that the process is nearing completion.
“That understanding will also give us power as we do not have say over the learners because they belong to the ministry of education and not to sport,” he said.
He also pointed out that NSSU is determined to reach out to all schools this year.
“For this year we just want to make sure that we have reached out to as many schools as possible as one of our goals is empowering the teachers as well as some volunteers to get into schools and develop sports at grassroots level because that is actually where our major problem starts,” he said.
He further pointed out that a sport calendar has already been drawn up and schools have started picking them up from his office.
“We are starting now at all schools with inter-house competitions so the schools will now start preparing and after that we will have our cluster meetings where schools that are participating can select their cluster teams and then have nationals late in April,” he said.
Duiker said they are encouraging schools to start with their sport activities as easy as possible, “because we have now set up a due date by when all inter-house events should be completed.
“A lot of schools have already started with getting their calendars so that they can start planning when to have their inter-house competitions, and there is a good response from the schools as they want to start with their school activities as early as possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, Duiker also indicated that the union is working on a plan of how to sustain itself.
“After having learned that the sports budget was cut, we have embarked on 'hunting season' to engage the corporate world to help to sustain the NSSU.
“We have so far engaged two and we are waiting for feedback. They have indicated to us that they would respond by end of this month, because we want to ensure that we are on par when it comes to the development of schools sports without relying on government,” he said.
He added that there is also progress being made in strengthening the union's office operation.
“My PA has just started so I am not alone anymore and that is already a positive.
“So there are also efforts being made in strengthening the office operations, as that would also give me a chance to really reach out into the regions,” he said.
KAINO NGHITONGO
The national coordinator Solly Duiker told Namibian Sun that talks are on track between the education and sports ministries.
He said at the moment NSSU cannot dictate what sport the learners should do as that mainly relies on the school's management, but is now happy that a document has already been prepared and will soon be sealed
“We will soon have the signed agreement between the two ministries, and that will be an important memorandum of understanding because only then will we have the power to go to schools and say they must do sports else we will report them to the authorities,” he said.
Duiker maintained that the process is nearing completion.
“That understanding will also give us power as we do not have say over the learners because they belong to the ministry of education and not to sport,” he said.
He also pointed out that NSSU is determined to reach out to all schools this year.
“For this year we just want to make sure that we have reached out to as many schools as possible as one of our goals is empowering the teachers as well as some volunteers to get into schools and develop sports at grassroots level because that is actually where our major problem starts,” he said.
He further pointed out that a sport calendar has already been drawn up and schools have started picking them up from his office.
“We are starting now at all schools with inter-house competitions so the schools will now start preparing and after that we will have our cluster meetings where schools that are participating can select their cluster teams and then have nationals late in April,” he said.
Duiker said they are encouraging schools to start with their sport activities as easy as possible, “because we have now set up a due date by when all inter-house events should be completed.
“A lot of schools have already started with getting their calendars so that they can start planning when to have their inter-house competitions, and there is a good response from the schools as they want to start with their school activities as early as possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, Duiker also indicated that the union is working on a plan of how to sustain itself.
“After having learned that the sports budget was cut, we have embarked on 'hunting season' to engage the corporate world to help to sustain the NSSU.
“We have so far engaged two and we are waiting for feedback. They have indicated to us that they would respond by end of this month, because we want to ensure that we are on par when it comes to the development of schools sports without relying on government,” he said.
He added that there is also progress being made in strengthening the union's office operation.
“My PA has just started so I am not alone anymore and that is already a positive.
“So there are also efforts being made in strengthening the office operations, as that would also give me a chance to really reach out into the regions,” he said.
KAINO NGHITONGO
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