Martin Endjala
Following a shocking high number of learners who failed grades 11 and 12 last year countrywide, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Science, ICT and Youth Development will be conducting oversight visits on the high failure rate of learners for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) and the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) levels in the 2022 academic year.
The Committee will seek answers and clarity on the effect of the introduction of the new curriculum and the extent to which the teachers were prepared for the implementation of the new curriculum.
This will further be expanded to the effect of the automatic promotion/transfer of Grade 9 learners of 2020 to the next grade; the existence and robustness of a monitoring and evaluation system within the education system; level of discipline at schools amongst learners and teachers.
The committee will also focus on the impact of the implementation of universal primary and secondary education (free education) in relation to the financing of education (schools); Procurement processes and arrangements and their impact on the education system and the extent of access to the internet and use of ICT facilities.
Now this comes after the 7th Session of the 6th National Council which was held from the 13-17 February 2023 deliberated and resolved the high failure rate of learners who set for the 2022 national examinations for NSSCO and NSSCAS levels.
The House unanimously agreed that the Standing Committee on Education, Science, ICT and Youth Development formally investigate the cause for the high failure rate and table a report on its findings.
The first leg of the oversight exercise will cover seven regions and will commence on Monday, 31 July in the Kunene Region and conclude on Monday, 21 August 2023 in the Zambezi region.
For the first leg, regions to be covered are the likes of Kunene, Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Kavango East, Kavango West and the Zambezi Regions.
The Committee will also conduct a series of public hearings with relevant stakeholders including parents, the regional education directorate, school boards, student bodies, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations and traditional leaders at selected locations in the regions.
The 2022 grade 11 Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary and grade 12 Advanced Subsidiary levels (NSSCO and NSSCAS) results show that only 8 133 pupils or 24 percent qualified for tertiary education from the 38 019 candidates who sat for the 2022 national exams.
This then prompted National Council member of parliament Kosmas Katura who is also a member of the standing committee on education, science, ICT and youth development to move an urgent motion earlier this year in February without notice, to probe the high failure rate.
