Education should not be politicised – Pohamba

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba has warned educators in the country to refrain from campaigning on behalf of their political parties while at schools, saying that education should not be politicised.

Pohamba made these remarks during the official inauguration of Dr Abraham Iyambo senior secondary school at Oshikunde in Ohangwena region.

“We must not politicise education, when you go to school, go there to teach not to campaign at schools. Education should not be politised at all,” Pohamba warned the teachers.

Pohamba made reference to the principal of Haimhambo primary school, Rosalia Ndamonomhata who was forcefully removed from the school, after she received building materials from the school patron, RDP president Hidipo Hamutneya in 2012.

He said the education and training sector of Namibia must spearhead the country’s efforts to achieve vision 2030.

“As a government, we believe that education is the backbone of national economic growth and social development,” said the President.

Pohamba said that he recalled when he once visited the adjacent Oshikunde secondary school in 2010 and 2011 that many learners were sleeping in tents and makeshift hostels.

He described the situation as unpleasant and not conducive to effective education. Therefore a decision was made to construct the new school in order to address the shortage of classrooms in the region.

“I am pleased that the Dr Abraham Iyambo school has been built, as it will go a long way in addressing the shortage of hostels and classroom facilities,” he said.

He urged the pupils to study very hard and refrain from alcohol and drugs abuse. The Dr Abraham Iyambo school is a newly constructed boarding school in the Ohakafiya circuit, catering for grades 11 and 12. It is named after the late minister of education Abraham Iyambo. Phase one of the project is now complete with 444 pupils enrolled this year and 14 teachers.

The school was constructed at a total cost of N$120 million.

The Ohangwena region has drastically improved in the 2013 national examinations for grade 10 and 12, rated fourth in the country.