Africa-Press – Namibia. MINISTER of education, arts and culture Anna Nghipondoka visited Ohangwena region on Friday to meet with the regional directorate of education and community members to address concerns around the new curriculum.
The visit came after community members last week handed over a petition to the regional governor, expressing their disappointment and requesting the ministry to abandon the new curriculum with immediate effect.
Speaking at the meeting with the Ohangwena education directorate on Friday, Nghipondoka said schools must prioritise career guidance to help pupils understand what they want to become.
Nghipondoka said the lack of career guidance in schools makes many children go in the streets because they are not guided.
She added that many pupils do not know what subjects to choose and the field of study they would like to pursue.
“Let’s improve from this week already, as a ministry. School principals, career guidance must take place in your respective schools. It must be our first priority,” Nghipondoka said.
Nghipondoka added that in the past, career guidance was conducted every year.
“Now that we moved to the new curriculum, there’s no more career guidance. Children and parents are confused and even some teachers don’t know what the new curriculum is all about,” she said.
She added that children are supposed to understand what the new curriculum is all about and tell their parents at home.
“Parents must be told in the languages they understand. If the director can’t explain, the education officers must reach out to the people and give out information using different media channels and explain to the parents,” Nghipondoka said.
Nghipondoka said many parents are saying the ministry should return to the old curriculum because they don’t see any value in what’s brought to them because everything is confusing.
“Parents feel that way because they are not involved. Parents need to be involved by being told in the way they understand. That’s why we have decentralised to make it easy for information to reach the public,” she said.
The minister said children who are on the streets did not apply to institutions of higher learning.
“It’s not because they don’t qualify to go to institutions of higher learning but it’s because they didn’t apply at all,” Nghipondoka said, adding that many pupils do not understand what the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary level is all about.
“They believe that if one didn’t go for Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS) they have failed. This isn’t true,” she said.
Addressing the community members on Saturday, Nghipondoka said the reason for the introduction of the new curriculum is to keep pupils in school.
“This is why we said from pre-primary until the last grade, the children must be in school because they are still small. We are avoiding them not to go in the streets,” Nghipondoka said.
Nghipondoka urged parents to visit their children’s schools and enquire about the new curriculum and what subjects and fields of study they have chosen.
“You mustn’t fear your schools. They’re yours and you’ve the right to ask where you don’t understand,” she said.
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