Investing in TVETThe ministries of mines, transport and education have taken hands to assist Windhoek Technical High School with a donation of vehicles for their technical vocational subjects. Handing over vehicles to HTS Mariselle Stofberg- On 18 March, the official handover of donated vehicles for practical teaching and assessment in motor mechanics took place at Windhoek Technical High School (HTS). Last year, the ministry of works and transport donated five vehicles to the school, which has helped the motor mechanics learners to get practical skills before their examinations.
The ministry of mines and energy also came on board this year and donated an additional eight vehicles to the school. Seven have been delivered with one still to be delivered in due course.
The acting director of education, arts and culture, Paulus Lewin, applauded this donation and the importance of it when taking into consideration the reform of the education system in the country.
With the introduction of the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary level, one of the changes to the structure includes the introduction of technical subjects and pre-vocational skills courses.
HTS has been selected as one of the schools to offer these subjects in the Khomas Region. “The education review has identified gaps and weaknesses and also strengths in the current curriculum. We need to ensure that the curriculum reflects the needs of society and prepare learners academically and technically for the world of work,” Lewin added.
Importance for industrialisation
Abakus Eyamo Ita, the head of department for technical studies at HTS, added that technical vocational training (TVET) is the key to the industrialisation of the country.
“There is a gap between the Namibian education and the fourth industrial revolution, and that is due to the removal of technical subjects from the curriculum 21 years ago. TVET can help to close the skills gap and meet the labour demands of the private sector, reduce unemployment and increase national productivity and competitiveness,” Ita said.
Lewin added that is necessary for learners to obtain knowledge, skills, values and attitudes they need in real life to further their studies and live a meaningful life in a democratic society.
“It is symbolic that this event is taking place at a time when the country is celebrating its 31st year of independence. This is what real independence should mean to us: Namibians assisting one another in times of need. This partnership will go a long way in cementing our working relationship and I thus express the directorate’s appreciation towards both ministries, who are now officially Friends of Education,” he said.
“The vehicles transferred here today show a commitment from the ministry of works and transport to assist HTS to produce well-trained motor mechanics ready for the Namibian market,” Sam Kadhikwa, the director of centralised support services at the ministry of works and transport, said.
Maria Moses, the director for administration services at the ministry of mines and energy, said as a ministry, they understand the importance and role of technical subjects within the community and the value they add to the economy. “The country needs these skills in order to accelerate economic development. We encourage the teachers at HTS to continue working hard to impart knowledge and skills to our learners. The learners also need to take their studies seriously and make good practical use of these vehicles to plough back into the community,” she added.
HTS offers electricity and electronics, motor mechanics, metalwork and wielding, bricklaying and plastering, plumbing and pipe lifting.