By:Annakleta Haikera
A group of unemployed teachers from the Kavango West and East claimed there are about 3,410 unemployed, qualified teachers in the two their two regions.
The want government to recruit more teachers to fill staffing gaps and promote quality education in the two regions.
The jobless teachers on Fridaydemanded that the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture undertakes a mass recruitment drive. If not, the group said President Hage Geingob’s State of the Nation Address directive for government to set aside money to recruit more teachers was merely a political stunt.
“During the State of Nation Address, on 16 March, President Hage Geingob promised N$200 million for additional teacher posts. Up to now it is not yet fulfilled, we conclude that this was a mere promise and a political statement to score political points,”noted David Nekaro, who spoke on behalf of the group.
Basic education was allocated N$16,8 billion. N$200 million is to recruit additional teachersas thousands of young graduates apply to just a few general positions at entities across the country; N$570 million was made available for the construction and renovation of classrooms and other education infrastructure, such as hostels and offices.
Nekaro told The Villager that 80% of the understaffed schools in the country are in the two Kavango regions with teachers having to cater to 70- 90 learners in a class while 3,410 teachers are unemployedin the two regions.
The group maintains the Ministry of Education has failed to respond to its mandate on quality education and execution of policy on teacher-learner ratio, despite the constant Cabinet directives on the matter.
The group has also accused the Ministry of contributing to high youth unemployment and poverty in the country “by sending children under age 16 and young graduates in the streets due to lack of spaces, high failure rate and lack of teachers in schools.”
At the same event, the President of the National African Students’ Association (Nasa) Paulus Vihemba said they are concerned about the level of government’s commitment and lack of political will to address the crisis of understaffed teachers at many government schools.
“Nasa is also worried by the persisting high number of unemployed graduates in the streets which will have a negative impact on the education and performance of learners in the future, as many learners no longer see the significance of education when, everyday, they see others with qualifications in the streets,” Vihemba said.
Wezzy Mwafilwa, a 25-year old education graduate, who has been unemployed for four years, told The Villager that being a graduate and unemployed at a very young age is stressful.
“Being unemployed eventually leads to you being depressed and feeling frustrated. Unemployment is a growing trigger that is driving many young people into depression.”
She claimed to have attempted to sell fish and fat cakes, however, the Rundu Town Council has demanded a fee to conduct her business in town.
“Honestly, we are suffering,” Mafilwa expressed.
Education Minister Anna Nghipondoka’s phone went unanswered at the time of publication.
The Acting Deputy Director of Education in Kavango East, Christine Shilima told The Villager that she has already engaged with the unemployed graduates in the region.
According to Shilima, the other issues that were raised by the unemployed graduates have been solved, such as building four new project schools in the Kavango.
“I am also alone and just started in the acting position. I can’t solve all the problems,”she said.
The unemployed graduates gave the Ministry 14 days to respond to their petition, threatening to shut down the offices of the Directorate of Education in the two regions, if there is no response.
The latest university survey shows that approximately 7,383 students graduated from the country’s three universities in 2020, with the majority eyeing to be absorbed into the job market.
According to the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI), there are over 67,000 unemployed graduates in the country.
MHETI says universities should consider cutting intakes for courses which are currently having an oversupply of graduates on the job market.