The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has suspended a directive to no longer recruit graduates whose qualifications do not indicate specialisation in teaching the junior primary phase.
This is contained in a ministerial letter to all chief regional officers, education directors and regional councils dated 24 June.
The ministry says consultation with various institutions will proceed, adding that it is critical to improve the quality of education through teacher training that meets the requirements stipulated in the directive.
“The suspension is necessitated by the constitution of a steering committee identified to oversee and coordinate the consultative process for the review of formal education circular 3 of 2019, which is scheduled for 15 and 16 July 2024.
“Institutions of higher learning which offer teacher training programmes have been invited through a letter dated 11 June 2024 to submit the details of the programmes offered for junior primary phase teachers. Further to this engagement other relevant stakeholders and interest groups are equally invited to take part in this review,” the ministry says.
The initial decision has been met with criticism from politicians, the Namibia College of Open Learning, and education unionists, prompting the ministry to tentatively suspend the directive.
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