Education stakeholders discuss JSC results for Otjozondjupa

OTJIWARONGO, 24 APR – Parents and politicians in the Otjozondjupa Region have called on the regional education directorate to formulate working resolutions to the poor performance of Grade 10 learners in the region.

The suggestion was made Tuesday during the one-day Otjozondjupa Regional Education Directorate stakeholders’ consultative meeting at Otjiwarongo to interrogate the poor performance for the 2017 Grade 10 Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC) examinations.

The region is ranked 10th in the 2017 JSC results at national level, and in first position for the Grade 12 Higher Level results that same year.
Otjozondjupa is second to the Kavango East Region in the 2017 Grade 12 Ordinary Level results.

Otjozondjupa Regional Governor, Otto Ipinge in his opening statement said the region is supposed to be in the top-five performing regions in Grade 10, because its Grade 12 Higher and Ordinary level results are impressive since 2015.

Ipinge urged for resolutions to be converted into strategies that will assist the directorate in improving those schools that did not do well last year.
He said critical planning and implementation of teaching and learning methodologies for Grade 10 learners should be formulated, adding it is in this grade where most learners drop out of school and join the army of unemployed youth in the region.

“Are we also placing teachers according to their qualifications in line with their specialisations, and if so, why do our learners keep failing in Grade 10 each year?” probed Ipinge.

He also asked parents to motivate their children to stay in school and show the highest degree of discipline to teachers.
Chairperson of the Otjozondjupa Regional Council, Julius Neumbo said the meeting should discuss real problems affecting the learning and teaching environment of Grade 10 learners.

“Could it be the noise coming from that music being played at a bar situated near a school or the noise coming from those loud speakers of a church operating near the school?,” asked Neumbo.

Acting Education Director, Josephine Mutenda said the meeting is expected to conclude with a draft list of problems and proposed solutions to the issues affecting performance of learners in Grade 10 in the region.
NAMPA