Onyaanya, Oshikoto Region – Anna Nghipondoka, the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture of Namibia, has called for increased efficiency in the use of learners’ books by school principals and teachers nationwide. This appeal was made during the handover of a N.dollars 4,000 donation from Vice President Nangolo Mbumba to Ihongo Senior Secondary School.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Minister Nghipondoka expressed concern over the underutilization of educational resources in schools. She highlighted the issue of learners discarding partially used exercise books, a practice that has attracted numerous complaints from parents and guardians. Nghipondoka urged principals to ensure that each learner’s exercise book is fully utilized before issuing new ones. She emphasized the importance of internal efficiency in schools, citing that a significant portion of exercise books remains unused.

The minister also addressed the problem of insufficient exercises being given to learners, leading to poor academic performance. She suggested that teachers should fully utilize the pages in exercise books to enhance learning efficiency.

Furthermore, Nghipondoka encouraged school principals to adopt innovative approaches for sustaining their schools. She proposed the utilization of unused classrooms as laboratories and shared her experience from her tenure as MoEAC director in the Omusati Region, where she initiated the ‘Groom a Scientist’ project, leading to the creation of laboratories.

In addition to these educational strategies, Nghipondoka advised parents to support schools when necessary, while also noting that the Ministry provides many resources. She emphasized the importance of schools communicating their needs to parents without overburdening them.