REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA OHANGWENA REGIONAL COUNCIL DIRECTORATE OF EDUCATION, ARTS AND CULTURE ‘ier Foran France isan Taree eet Sasa er Brg Tet tee es 25sa ‘re Boy 8008 Foctoten ease nana ges Shgtge /A Paha ourepzanse Memo To : All Inspectors of Education All School Principals OHANGWENA REGION From: Isak Hamatwl fo Regional Directs -—— PT ay Date : 15 November 2019 SUBIECT: — FORMAL EDUCATION CIRCULAR NO. 3 OF 2019 ON APPROPRIATE APPOINTMENT QUALIFICATIONS FOR FILLING OF TEACHING POSTS JUNIOR PRIMARY PHASE (PRE-PRIMARY, GRADE 1-3) IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 4. The attached Formal Education Circular No. 3 of 2019 dated 13 November 2019 regarding the above subject matter bears reference. 2. There has been uncertainty as to whether applicants for Junior Primary Phase posts whose teaching qualifications indicate for example “English os Medium of Instruction” can be Permanently appointed in a Junior Primary Phase post at a school for which the Me Im of Instruction (Mol) is either Oshikwanyama or Oshindonga. Furthermore, it has not been explicitly clear as to whether applicants whose teaching quali indicate Oshikwanyama as a Mol can be permanently appointed in a post at a school for which the 3. The uncertainty led to the directorate taking a stand that applicants will be considered based on the Mol as per their tertiary qualifications vis-8-vis the advertised and/or the Mol offered at the school they apply to. At the same time, the directorate had advised the Head Office to lialse with NIED to engage the concerned teacher training institutions for clarity and subsequently issue a guideline to all directorates of education hence, the issuance of Formal Education Circular No. 3 of 2019, 4. With regard to paragraph 3 of the said Circular, we wish to emphasis the following new development for your immediate implementation: 8, if applicant X has done Oshikwanyama in grade 12 for example, then s/he qualifies for permanent appointment.suasect: FORMAL EDUCATION CIRCULAR NO. 3 OF 2019 ON APPROPRIATE APPOINTMENT QUALIFICATIONS FOR FILLING OF TEACHING POSTS JUNIOR PRIMARY PHASE (PRE-PRIMARY, GRADE 1-3) IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS b) The same would apply to applicants with Oshindonga as Mol at tertiary level, and Oshikwanyama in Grade 10 or 12 with appropriate symbols. This person qualifies for Oshikwanyama post and vise-versa. Also, if one has done vernacular language at tertiary institution and apply for a post for which the Mol is English, then the English that the Person did in grade 10 or 12 qualifies him/her for permanent appointment in the post. ©) Instances where the advertised post’s Mol is for example Oshikwanyama and applicant X has done English as Mol at tertiary level and Oshindonga in grade 10 or 12 (highest School leaving certificate), then s/he does not qualify for permanent appointment. 4) In unique cases where an applicant has a BETD (INSET) in Junior Primary, yet the grade 10 or 12 certificate does not have a Namibian language, the school/HR Division is expected to verify the Mol the applicant was teaching in during admission into the Programme through testimonial or other records before permanent appointment. 5. Schools with teachers appointed on temporary basis due to the Mol in their post matric qualifications may approach the office of the Director with minutes of the school board Tequesting for the permanent appointment, should they meet the conditions set out in Paragraph 4 above and only if, the school board is satisfied with their performance. 6. The effective date of this communiqué is 13 November 2019. ‘Thank you,REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA | MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, ARTS AND CULTURE : po Ne 335/808 at st Go er Pt | ps enter 39939931) 3072 Pin ag ‘agar he Kangen wmonoe Eka oes Tagamet erm pas me Nona | 4 wes eer SS FORMAL EDUCATION CIRCULAR NO. 3 OF 2019 ; TOALL : DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS e CHIEF REGIONAL OFFICERS i See en REGIONS) ' INSPECTORS OF EDUCATION | Woks OF HUMAN RESOURCE OFFICES SECRETARY GENERAL: NANTU OF TEACHING POSTS JUNIOR PRIMARY PHASE (PRE- 4 = : ‘SUBJECT APPROPRIATE APPOINTMENT QUALIFICATIONS FOR FILLING : PRIMARY, GRADE 1-3) IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 4 ear Coteagues, BACKGROUND 4.4 It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) that some professional teaching qualifications from certain teacher 4 training institutions do not indicate the appropriate phase or area of specialization in terms of a professional teaching qualification for the Junior Primary Phase (Pre-primary Grade - Grade 3) or the Medium of Instruction (Mol) for which the teacher was trained and certfied to teach. 4.2 The abovementioned situation created serious challenges for the MOEAC when it comes to determining the suitable placement of Teachers in the Junior Primary phase. ‘A practical example in this regard is that professional teaching qualifications ‘are indicated as “Early Learning Development Pre-Primary Teaching Diploma NOF Level 6, Diploma in Early Childhood and Pre-Primary NOF ‘total corespondence shouldbe addressed ote Executive DirectorLevel 7 and Diploma in Pre-Primary Education NOF Level 7". Another ‘scenario is that some professional teaching qualifications do not specify the ‘Mol for which a teacher is trained and certified to use for teaching and learning in the at Junior Primary Phase. 1.3. Furthermore, there are professionally qualified teachers who completed the Basic Education Teachers Diploma (BETD) and other recognized professional teaching qualifications in the Junior Primary Phase whose professional teaching qualifications do not specify the Mol and it is therefore fa bit complicated to place those teachers appropriately in vacant Junior Primary Phase teaching posts. LEGAL PROVISION 2.1 Section 11(b){i) and (i) of the Public Service Act, 1995 (Act 13 of 1995), makes provision for the Executive Director to be accountable for the: (2) _ efficient management and administration in his / her Ministry; and (b) the proper functional training and utilization of staff members in her Minty @ 2.2 PSSR Bill (Recruitment Policy Framework of the Public Service of Namibia). 3. GUIDELINES ON THE FILLING OF POSTS 3.1. An applicant should only be considered for appointment into a teaching post fon a permanent basis in the in Junior Primary Phase if the Mol for the school cr that particular class group is the same as language subject that was ‘offered in the secondary phase academic qualifications (highest school leaving certificate). By implication, an applicant who has for example offered Aftikaans as a language subject in the secondary phase should be considered for ‘appointment to teach using Afrikaans as a Mol on a permanent basis on ‘condition that he/she obtained a A, B, C, D, E, F or G grade and this grade ‘appears on the schoo! leaving certificate. Ideally, it could have been appropriate to recruit professionally trained teachers with good symbols In Grade 10 or 12, but this is rendered e impossible by the fact that some teachers might have entered teacher education programmes through different types of entry requirements, hence this concession is made thus far. ‘At omclal corespondance aouldbe addressed tote Execute Dietor TRADI a* Furthermore, applicants with professional teaching qualifications specializing in English as Mol, should be considered looking at the symbols obtained in grade 10 or 12 certificate, {n unique cases where an applicant has a BETD (INSET) in Junior Primary, yet the grade 10 or 12 certificate does not have a Namibian language, the Regional Directorate concern should verify the Mol the applicant was teaching in during admission into the programme through testimonial or other records before permanent appointment. Selection Committees should therefore ensure that basic questions that are set to test the suitabilty of an applicant or a candidate in a specific language that used as the Mol in the Junior Primary Phase of that particular school are built into the interviewing process at this level to ensure that a more competitive process for selecting suitably trained and professionally qualified candidates is applied. Some teacher training institutions offer pre-primary or junior primary education quaitfications without specifying the grades that a teacher is trained and certfied to teach a phase that a teacher is trained and certified and teach in correctly, for example Grade 1-3, A qualification titled as such might be interpreted as a professional teaching {qualification for the Pre-Primary Grade only, instead of being interpreted as a professional teaching qualification for Junior Primary Phase (Pre-Primary and Grade 1 — 3), After an in-depth consultation with the respective teacher training institutions, the MoEAC is satisfied that the graduates with the professional qualifications Teflected herein underneath are suitably qualified and equipped to teach in the Junior Primary phase. ‘The following is a list of education qualifications with their teaching grades from recognized educational institutions: Institution | Qualifications Grades NAMCOL [Diploma in Early Childhood and Pre | Pre-primary-3 Primary Education Level 7 TM Diploma in Education (Pre and Junior | Pre-primary 3 Primary) Level 7 OW Bachelor of Education ih Pre and Junlor| Pre-prmary-3 Primary Educstion Honours, Level 8 ToL Diploma in Pre-Primary Education, Level | Pre-primary 3 7 TOL ‘Diploma in Junior Primary Education, | Pre-pimay-3 | Level 7 TOL ‘Junior Pinay Teacher Education | Pre-primary-S Diploma, Level 6 ‘Attica corespondenc should be adsressd oe Executive Directorfart oenere 4, MONITORING, EVALUATION AND COMPLIANCE 4.1 PSSR BN (Filing of posts on Probation); and 42 The Department of Schools/Formal Education will monitor, evaluate and ensure compliance of this Circular. | | 5. PURPOSE OF THIS CIRCULAR The purpose of this Circular therefore is to direct all stakeholders to strive towards recruiting graduates or holders of professional teaching qualifications as indicated in paragraph three (3) above in the Junior Primary Phase, Counting on your usual cooperation: Asche ed 9 SANET L STEEAKaMP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR wen ‘Foe Siacitaking and Regina! Textbook Orders aaae Fle ener Dou eae Chat hagern Scr Report ante Biseiet bak wea, Bue PAD, OAE MLAS, MAMCOL avant Senor edveasan Otcwn: AdeorySerions Irapoctore oh edceaton ete eStart ‘NANT TUN KANO ‘Avocet comespondence souk be nbdrecee tote Execs Dect sen aie