Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Bertha Nghifikwa has criticised the current education system for promoting pupils without academic merit, failing to prepare youth for the job market, and neglecting schools in rural areas.
Delivering her maiden speech in the National Assembly this week, Nghifikwa, a teacher and psychologist with over 13 years of experience in education, questioned the logic behind policies she says are pushing pupils through the system without the necessary skills or knowledge.
“It frustrates me not to understand the inconsistency of how our pupils progress through the education system,” she said.
She further pointed out disparities where pupils with lower grades proceed to the next level while those with higher points are held back.
Nghifikwa also slammed the promotional policy, which advances pupils based on age instead of academic performance.
“Even a pupils who scored all Us may be transferred to the next grade. Can you imagine the damage this causes?” she asked.
The IPC lawmaker expressed concern over the curriculum’s failure to equip learners in grades 9 and 11 with basic vocational skills, despite positioning them to exit the formal school system.
She highlighted the limited teaching of subjects such as agriculture, arts and physical education, often taught only once a week by untrained educators.
“The government says education is free, but parents are forced to buy stationery, paper and teaching resources. Perhaps it should be called something else,” she said.
According to Nghifikwa, overcrowded classrooms are contributing to the high failure rate among pupils, making it difficult for teachers to address individual learning difficulties. She called for a more practical curriculum aligned with the national budget and the realities of the job market.
She also criticised the underfunding of infrastructure, highlighting cases where pupils at Omuuni Combined School in the Ohangwena region and Joy Mungungu Secondary School at Rundu are being taught in tents, shacks and under trees.
“With only 0.8% of the education budget allocated to infrastructure, will this be enough to give them a conducive learning environment?” she asked.
Nghifikwa further advocated the integration of psychological support in schools and strengthening early childhood development efforts.
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