Corruption - A social disease (Part 112): Educational qualities needed to transform the Namibian society
Johan Coetzee - Educational institutions headed by transformational leaders can play an instrumental role in bridging the divide between races, religions and classes.
We need to develop national consciousness and inclusiveness in our Namibian society. Our society is polarised, given a semi-educated, poorly remunerated and/or unemployed majority as opposed to the minority of highly skilled, well educated and employed.
By comparing top educational leadership in Namibia to best practice leadership profiles such as Jonathan Jansen (a former rector of the University of Free State in South Africa) it is possible to say that we have a few leaders that are visionary. However their conflict of interests in terms of managing their business activities as opposed to their positions, and their autocratic leadership styles are not always meeting the requirements for being moral and that detracts from their inspirational and transformational ability to change our educational system.
Most of our educational leaders are compromising their leadership due to conflicts of interest between their leadership positions and their business and/or political connections and/or their involvement in questionable business deals that are not above board and/or publicly declared. They are neither respected nor credible and can therefore not transform our educational system as they could and should.
LIFT THE BAR
Our leaders should increase our school pass mark for all subjects to 50% to comply with best practice internationally.
As indicated by Jansen (as cited by the Mail and Guardian) South Africa’s educational challenge is only partially educational, it is in the first place political. The author is of the view that the latter situation also applies to Namibia.
With the SWAPO debate about free or paid education, it can be said that our educational challenge is political. The pass mark of our students demonstrates similarities with those of South Africa. The proportion of our students passing secondary exams compared to those enrolling for it, is very similar to those of South-Africa.
We are not at war with any country and we do have political stability. However, we have more soldiers than teachers in Namibia. If we can replace half the number of soldiers with qualified teachers that studied at credible institutions, we can become an educated nation much faster with increased political maturity, more tolerance and reduced corruption.
References
Mail and Guardian. 2014. Jansen says school subject mark must be raised. SAPA.
[email protected]
We need to develop national consciousness and inclusiveness in our Namibian society. Our society is polarised, given a semi-educated, poorly remunerated and/or unemployed majority as opposed to the minority of highly skilled, well educated and employed.
By comparing top educational leadership in Namibia to best practice leadership profiles such as Jonathan Jansen (a former rector of the University of Free State in South Africa) it is possible to say that we have a few leaders that are visionary. However their conflict of interests in terms of managing their business activities as opposed to their positions, and their autocratic leadership styles are not always meeting the requirements for being moral and that detracts from their inspirational and transformational ability to change our educational system.
Most of our educational leaders are compromising their leadership due to conflicts of interest between their leadership positions and their business and/or political connections and/or their involvement in questionable business deals that are not above board and/or publicly declared. They are neither respected nor credible and can therefore not transform our educational system as they could and should.
LIFT THE BAR
Our leaders should increase our school pass mark for all subjects to 50% to comply with best practice internationally.
As indicated by Jansen (as cited by the Mail and Guardian) South Africa’s educational challenge is only partially educational, it is in the first place political. The author is of the view that the latter situation also applies to Namibia.
With the SWAPO debate about free or paid education, it can be said that our educational challenge is political. The pass mark of our students demonstrates similarities with those of South Africa. The proportion of our students passing secondary exams compared to those enrolling for it, is very similar to those of South-Africa.
We are not at war with any country and we do have political stability. However, we have more soldiers than teachers in Namibia. If we can replace half the number of soldiers with qualified teachers that studied at credible institutions, we can become an educated nation much faster with increased political maturity, more tolerance and reduced corruption.
References
Mail and Guardian. 2014. Jansen says school subject mark must be raised. SAPA.
[email protected]
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