Minister’s Speech at Oshana Education Indaba

[THIS was the Keynote Address of the Minister of Education, Innovation, Sports, Arts, and Culture Dr Sanet Steenkamp at the Oshana Education Indaba held in Ongwediva on 9 October 2026.]

Honourable Hofni Alugodhi Iipinge, Governor of the Oshana Region and Host of this Indaba; Director of Ceremonies, Dr Elizabeth Namundyebo; Honourable Members of Parliament and Regional Councillors; Regional and Local Authority Leaders; Traditional and Community Leaders;

Mrs Paulina Shapumba, Regional Director of Education, Arts and Culture, and Senior Officials of the Ministry; Prof. Johnson Oluwagbenga, Campus Director of the UNAM José Eduardo dos Santos Campus; Members of the Oshana Education Advisory Committee; Panel Moderators, Panelists and Breakaway Session Facilitators; University lecturers, researchers and academic leaders;

TVET trainers and vocational education practitioners; School Principals, Heads of Department, Teachers and Education Officials; Representatives of Parents, Learners and School Boards; Development Partners, Civil Society and Private Sector Representatives; Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here in Oshana for a conversation that goes to the heart of what every education system is ultimately expected to deliver: better learning for every learner.

I commend the Governor and the Office of the Governor of the Oshana Region for convening this important Indaba, because the theme before us is both timely and fundamental: “Quality and Smart Education for the Namibian Child in Oshana Region.”

Allow me to reflect briefly on each part of that theme. “Quality” speaks to what our learners actually learn and are able to do. “Smart” speaks to how we use technology, data and innovation to make teaching more effective and learning more personalised.

And “the Namibian Child in Oshana Region” reminds us that our deliberations today must be rooted in the real circumstances of the learners of this region: their classrooms, their homes, their communities and their results.

We have just heard the Regional Results Analysis presented by the Regional Director. Those results should not merely be noted; they should guide every discussion we hold today.

Let me begin with a simple proposition: Quality education should ultimately be measured by what changes in the life of a learner. It should be visible in a child who reads with greater confidence. In a learner who understands mathematics rather than simply memorising procedures.

In a teacher who has better tools and stronger professional support. In a principal who is able to lead teaching and learning effectively. In a TVET trainee who acquires practical skills that open a pathway into employment or enterprise.

And in a university graduate who can apply knowledge, think critically, innovate and contribute meaningfully to society and the economy.

That, ultimately, is the standard by which I believe we should judge ourselves.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our education system is a continuum. The early childhood practitioner, the junior primary teacher, the secondary school teacher, the TVET trainer and the university lecturer may work in different environments, but they are contributing to the development of the same human being. What happens in the early years affects what happens in primary school.

What happens in school affects readiness for TVET and higher education. And what happens in our tertiary institutions ultimately affects our workplaces, our communities, our economy and the future of our country.

We therefore cannot afford to think about these parts of the system in isolation. Our partnerships must cross institutional boundaries.

We need stronger bridges between schools, TVET institutions, universities, employers, communities and government, so that knowledge, research, innovation, professional practice and the needs of our economy can inform one another.

This is particularly important as Namibia prepares young people not only for employment, but for a changing world of work in which adaptability, digital competence, creativity, problem-solving and lifelong learning will increasingly matter.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Across our regions, circuits and schools, we may have different contexts, different resources and different challenges.

But we share a common responsibility: to ensure that children and young people do not pass through our education system without acquiring the foundations they need to succeed.

This is why foundational learning must remain at the centre of our agenda. Reading, language development, writing and numeracy are not simply subjects in the early grades. They are the foundations upon which later learning is built. If a learner struggles to read with understanding, every other subject becomes more difficult. If a learner does not develop confidence in mathematics early enough, that difficulty can follow the learner for years.

This is why our national development priorities place such emphasis on foundational literacy and numeracy, supported teachers, inclusive education, digital literacy and preparing our young people for the future.

But foundational learning does not mean limiting our ambitions for children. We must also develop curiosity, creativity, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and the confidence to apply knowledge to real-life situations.

The question is therefore not simply whether our children are in school.

The more important question is: What are they learning while they are there?

Quality education depends on many things working together: capable teachers, relevant curricula, suitable infrastructure, effective teaching aids, safe learning environments and sustained support for every learner.

None of these is sufficient on its own, and each of them will be examined in the panels and breakaway sessions of this Indaba.

And that question takes us directly into the classroom.

Ladies and gentlemen,

No education system can consistently achieve better learning outcomes without investing in the people who make learning possible. Our teachers need strong initial preparation, continuous professional development, appropriate resources and professional support.

But professional development should not be reduced to attending an occasional workshop. It should become part of the everyday life of the profession. Teachers should have opportunities to examine learner performance, identify learning gaps, reflect on their practice, share effective approaches, learn from colleagues, receive mentoring and adapt their teaching where necessary.

We should particularly strengthen support for teachers who are entering the profession and for those working in challenging contexts.

This is also why strengthening teacher professionalism matters. The development of the Professional Council for Educators is an important step towards clearer professional standards, systematic continuing professional development, accountability and stronger public confidence in the teaching profession.

But standards alone will not improve learning. Teachers must also feel respected, supported and equipped to succeed, and their professional wellbeing, including their mental health, financial discipline and motivation, deserves our serious attention.

This afternoon’s panel on teacher professional support and wellbeing, and the breakaway session on teacher training and professional development, give us an opportunity to say practically what that support should look like in Oshana.

And this brings me to another aspect of education that I believe deserves greater attention: leadership. The quality of school leadership has a significant influence on the quality of teaching and learning.

But when we speak about leadership, I would encourage us to think beyond the principal’s office. A principal has a critical leadership responsibility, but a school cannot become an effective learning organisation through one person alone.

Leadership must be distributed. Heads of department, senior teachers and teachers themselves have important leadership roles to play in improving teaching and learning. Teachers should not only be recipients of policy, instructions and professional development. They are professionals with knowledge, experience and ideas that can help shape solutions.

This is what we mean by teacher leadership, creating space for teachers to lead professional learning, mentor colleagues, analyse learner performance, share effective practice and contribute to decisions that affect teaching and learning.

Distributed leadership does not mean that accountability disappears. Quite the opposite. It means that responsibility is shared deliberately, with clear roles, mutual trust and collective accountability for learner outcomes.

The principal therefore becomes not simply the person who manages the school, but the person who creates the conditions in which others can lead, contribute and take ownership. Management keeps a school functioning; leadership determines what kind of learning organisation that school becomes.

That requires leadership that is visible, supportive and accountable. It requires principals who lead by example, heads of department who mentor and coach, and teachers who see themselves not only as classroom practitioners but also as contributors to the improvement of their school and their profession.

And we must get the balance right: compassion without accountability can become complacency, while accountability without support can become fear. Our schools need both support and accountability if we are serious about improving learning.

Leadership must also extend beyond the school to the way the system supports schools. Matters such as admissions, teacher-learner ratios, delays in recruitment and coordination between the Regional Office and schools may appear administrative, but they directly determine whether a learner has a teacher in front of him or her, and the attention that learner needs.

I look forward to the practical proposals that will emerge from the panel on strengthening education administration and school support.

Distinguished guests,

Education does not stop at the school gate. What happens after the school day ends, where and how a child studies, rests and is supported, has a direct bearing on performance in the classroom.

Parents and caregivers have an important role in creating a home environment that values learning. Even where parents may have limited formal education themselves, they can encourage children to read, ask questions, complete their work, attend school regularly and take education seriously.

Communities, too, have a role. They can help protect educational infrastructure, promote learner safety and encourage children to remain in school.

Our consultative structures should therefore not merely become places where problems are reported. They should become spaces where problems are jointly understood and solutions are jointly developed. And this is where the true meaning of partnership begins.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This brings me to the second part of our theme: smart education. We are living through a period of extraordinary technological change. Digital technologies can expand access to learning resources, support teachers, improve education management and create opportunities that were previously beyond the reach of many learners.

But technology must serve education. Education must not become a servant of technology. And as we enter the age of artificial intelligence, I believe we must hold on to one very important principle: AI should strengthen thinking, not replace thinking.

We must teach our learners to question, analyse, create, solve problems and make informed judgements. If a learner asks AI to write the assignment, produce the answer or complete the project without engaging with the learning, we may have produced a finished product, but we have not necessarily produced learning.

Our responsibility is therefore to teach young people to use these technologies intelligently, ethically and responsibly, while protecting their safety, privacy and dignity.

Smart education is also about using data intelligently. When schools, circuits and the Regional Office use assessment results and learner information to identify who is falling behind, and why, we can target support earlier and more precisely.

Smart education is therefore not only about devices; it is about smart classrooms, smart teaching and smart decisions.

And smart education must be inclusive. A smart education agenda that reaches only the best-resourced schools would widen the very gaps we are trying to close.

As we discuss digital learning and smart classrooms this afternoon, let us ask not only what technology we want, but how it will reach every learner in Oshana, including those in rural and under-resourced schools.

This is another area in which partnerships can make a real difference. We do not all have to develop every solution ourselves. We can learn from one another. We can share evidence, teacher-development approaches, assessment practices, digital resources, research and innovations that have demonstrated results.

And this, for me, is the real value of an Indaba such as this one. Partnership should not simply mean working together. It should mean learning together and becoming better together.

Distinguished guests,

There is, however, one ingredient without which partnership can become little more than a good intention: honesty about what is working and what is not working. We cannot improve what we are unwilling to measure. We cannot solve problems that we are unwilling to acknowledge. And we cannot sustain interventions simply because they sound good.

We must ask whether they are making a measurable difference in the lives of learners. That is why I would encourage this Indaba to move beyond identifying challenges. Let us identify a small number of priorities that we can act upon.

Let us ask: What is the most important learning challenge facing learners in Oshana? What evidence do we have? What is already working? Where are the gaps? Who can help us address them?

And, importantly: How will we know that we have made progress? If we can leave this Indaba with greater clarity on those questions, then this Indaba will have served a very important purpose.

Ladies and gentlemen, Oshana has an important contribution to make to Namibia’s education journey. We should never underestimate the value of learning from one another across circuits, schools, regions and institutions.

The strength of our education system will not be determined by government alone. It will be determined by the quality of the partnerships we build around the learner and by our willingness to translate those partnerships into action.

Let us therefore build partnerships that reach the classroom. Partnerships that strengthen teachers. Partnerships that develop and support school leaders. Partnerships that give teachers space to lead.

Partnerships that connect schools with TVET institutions and universities. Partnerships that engage parents and communities. Partnerships that use technology wisely. Partnerships that are informed by evidence.

And above all, partnerships that can be seen in better learning outcomes and better opportunities for our children and young people.

Every Namibian child in Oshana has potential. Our collective responsibility is to create the conditions in which that potential can flourish.

Let this Indaba therefore not be remembered simply as another meeting. Let it be remembered as a point at which we listened to one another, challenged ourselves honestly, shared what works, identified what must change, and committed ourselves to practical action.

Because at the end of the day, the success of our education system will not be measured only by policies written, meetings held or programmes launched. It will be measured by the lives of the learners we serve. By what they know. By what they can do. By how they think. By how confidently they participate in society.

And by the opportunities they are able to create for themselves, their families and their country. That is the education system we must build together.

Let the resolutions we adopt this afternoon carry clear responsibilities, timelines and follow-up, and let them be monitored and evaluated regularly, so that when we meet again we can report not only on what we discussed, but on what we have done.

I wish you frank and constructive deliberations, meaningful partnerships and, most importantly, practical commitments that will make a lasting difference in the lives of the learners of Oshana, and bring quality and smart education within reach of every Namibian child in the Oshana Region.

I thank you.