• Education

‘Teachers operate on minds’

2. What subjects do you teach and how else are you involved at your school?

I teach Otjiherero First language and English as a second language. I am passionately involved with debating, mentoring future leaders that is the Learner Representative Council (LRC), partaking in going green projects, the Scripture Union that is instilling moral and value system for our learners through spiritual growth and awareness.

3. What made you decide to pursue a career in education?

It was the thought of the opportunity of working with children, the opportunity to help learners discover their potential and mould that potential so that it becomes a tangible end product. I always played teacher as a toddler, I am inquisitive by nature and so I love to learn and because of that what I gain I always wanted to teach on to somebody else. My beloved late father Mr Moses Seth Tjirimuje who passed away this year was also a teacher and a school principal inspired greatly to become a teacher also. The impact that some of the teachers had on me also were a factor as I saw if someone could touch my life in the way they have so I have an opportunity to touch a life as well. Teaching is touching lives forever!

4. Please tell us what the most rewarding part of your job is

Most people think the first thing you look for when choosing a career is money but I will tell anyone who wants to pursue a career in teaching that should be the factor but it should be passion. The most rewarding part of teaching is to see your leaners exceed that which you have set for them and grow into prominent figures in society and you look at that and tell yourself that’s my product. Not only that but to have a problem child or an underperforming child and after your intervention they become better learners in discipline and academics that is my greatest pride and I always sought for those to make better because every child is just a child and as the bible says we must show him the way he should go in that when he grows up he will not depart from it.

5. Why should young people consider a career in education?

Although it is one the most underappreciated careers, the value it has of moulding the next generation of lawyers, doctors and presidents is richly rewarding - teaching is the backbone of the country as without a teacher you have no president or doctors. Teaching also has flexible working hours, you get to interact with young people and shape into better citizen and that is priceless.

6. According to you what are some of the greatest challenges that the Namibian education system are faced with at the moment and how do you should it be addressed?

Discipline amongst learners, lack of parental involvement, teacher-learner ratio, motivation from learners themselves for their own school work, lack of technological devices in classrooms, low salaries and benefit for teachers and a lack of motivation from teachers are some of the most pressing concerns.

Discipline begins at home and parents must instil discipline at home and not only leave to teachers to it and parents must become more involved as stated before. There must be a reduction in the number of learners per teacher to enhance teaching and learning. There must be a modernisation of teaching to use projectors and a moving away from traditional way of doing things as Albert Einstein said we cannot do things the same way as we have for the last 20 years and expect different results, Eintein called that the definition of insanity. Teachers must become more appreciated through their salaries as their job is just as important as a doctor - we operate on the brain and make leaners do what they could not do before.