Principals in leadership training

A N$1,5 million donation from Old Mutual has made it possible to launch a programme to provide leadership training to 150 Namibian school principals over the next three years.

Brainchild of former businessman Dawie Fourie, who is the founder of the African Leadership Institute, which is conducting the training, the Old Mutual Principals’ Academy has just completed the first week for 21 principals from all 13 regions. Two further weeks of training will follow.Speaking at the official launch last week at Rock Lodge outside Okahandja, where the training is taking place, Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba said he was pleased to see the private sector and other educational stakeholders meeting the Government halfway to address shortcomings in the education sector.Well-managed schools, he said, produced the quality pupils Namibia needed to meet Vision 2030.He also noted the examples of schools with limited teaching and learning resources, but with exemplary leadership and determined teachers and pupils, who had much better pass rates than better-equipped schools.He called on principals to manage teacher absenteeism, “which is a problem”, manage the school development funds and other finances, mobilise former pupils and the community to further develop the schools, ensure that staff and teachers are familiar with key policy issues, guide and advise the school boards to administer the schools and encourage teachers, staff members and students’ representative councils to become involved in managing the schools.”Truly we need school principals who are leaders we can trust in future and in the future of our children,” he added.Handing over the first N$500 000 donation for the Principals’ Academy, Old Mutual’s chief executive officer for marketing, Raimund Snyders, said the programme was highly interactive, challenging participants to move past their comfort zones and to grow to lead their schools more effectively.A committee set up to facilitate the principals’ training includes Bertus Gous, former Windhoek High School principal, Dennis Fredericks, principal of Dawid Bezuidenhout High School in Khomasdal, Deon Nashenda, principal of St Joseph’s Secondary School, Dawie Fourie, Iain Eramus, also from the institute, and Raimund Snyders of Old Mutual.Two further weeks of training will follow.Speaking at the official launch last week at Rock Lodge outside Okahandja, where the training is taking place, Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba said he was pleased to see the private sector and other educational stakeholders meeting the Government halfway to address shortcomings in the education sector.Well-managed schools, he said, produced the quality pupils Namibia needed to meet Vision 2030.He also noted the examples of schools with limited teaching and learning resources, but with exemplary leadership and determined teachers and pupils, who had much better pass rates than better-equipped schools.He called on principals to manage teacher absenteeism, “which is a problem”, manage the school development funds and other finances, mobilise former pupils and the community to further develop the schools, ensure that staff and teachers are familiar with key policy issues, guide and advise the school boards to administer the schools and encourage teachers, staff members and students’ representative councils to become involved in managing the schools.”Truly we need school principals who are leaders we can trust in future and in the future of our children,” he added.Handing over the first N$500 000 donation for the Principals’ Academy, Old Mutual’s chief executive officer for marketing, Raimund Snyders, said the programme was highly interactive, challenging participants to move past their comfort zones and to grow to lead their schools more effectively.A committee set up to facilitate the principals’ training includes Bertus Gous, former Windhoek High School principal, Dennis Fredericks, principal of Dawid Bezuidenhout High School in Khomasdal, Deon Nashenda, principal of St Joseph’s Secondary School, Dawie Fourie, Iain Eramus, also from the institute, and Raimund Snyders of Old Mutual.