Six lessons learnt from the 2020 grade 11 results
Lately, the education ministry celebrated the first grade 11 results that determined two key exit choices for learners in Namibia: one, university admission, or two, progression to grade 12 Advanced Syndicate. What lessons did we learn from the results? Below I discuss only six such lessons.
Lesson one: Private vs public schools
Public opinion suggests that private than public schools offer quality education in Namibia. Historical evidence supports public opinion. Similarly, the results of the class of 2020 show that private schools once again outperformed public schools. Overall, the quality and quantity of learners’ results from private schools were better than those of their counterparts. However, what is unclear is at what cost do private schools continue to excel over their counterparts? What is certain though, is that private schools do not subscribe to the business-as-usual model of teaching, learning and assessment.
Lesson two: Female vs male learners’ performance
Does gender determine learner performance? The results show that female learners performed as well as their male counterparts across all subjects. In some instances, and contrary to common belief, female learners got better grades in all subjects, including English, maths, and science compared to their male counterparts.
The only caveat, however, is that most female high achievers were in city-located private schools. Sadly, that means many female learners in public schools had little to celebrate. Though many of them passed, their grades were not good enough to secure them university admission. Today, most female learners find themselves between the devil and deep blue sea: indeed, they may have passed, but they cannot proceed to grade 12, or university. Worst, they are certainly unemployable and cannot be self-employed. Their socio-economic situation makes it difficult to enrol in vocational training centres, which also observe strict official admission requirements. Therefore, their dilemma contradicts the typical political rhetoric that says, “educate a woman, you educate a nation.”
Lesson three: Rural vs semi-urban vs urban secondary school results
The geographical location of schools continues to define learning opportunities in Namibia.
If we compare rural, semiurban and urban school data, rural schools underperformed. However, rapid analysis of the results show that it is not only rural schools that underperformed; most sub-urban secondary schools suffered the same fate. Despite these massive school failures, policymakers continue to promise children that if they study hard, they will become future leaders. Unfortunately, the current deep-rooted exclusion of rural and semi-urban learners from decent learning opportunities flies in the face of this common-sense political promise. Reasonable men and women must reject the idea that the schooling system in Namibia is for everyone; it is not! Recent grade 11 results rather show that school is a legal pyramid scheme into which thousands of learners invest their precious time and effort to get to the top of the socioeconomic ladder. However, like an illegal pyramid scheme, school has a tendency of rewarding a few learners at the top of the heap, and mainly children of the elite. It is evident from the academic results that while the children of the privileged walked away with distinctions, most children from lower-level family structures were left empty-handed. Most such learners today have limited life choices. For decades, this has been the experience of children from the lower structure of society in Namibia. The current school system requires a total transformation, so it meets its promises for all children. The failure to transform may suggest that our school system is a toogood-for-nothing legal pyramid scheme, established and funded to advance the interests of a few!
Lesson four: Schooling is about competition
In a market economy, businesses exist to make profit through competition. Grade 11 results show that Namibia’s education system is designed on a business competition model. Schools through a notorious exam system determine the winners and losers in the curriculum competition. For instance, of the thousands of learners who entered the curriculum competition at the beginning of 2020, only a handful made it to the finish line. And all this happened in the name of upholding standards. At the end of the competition “referees” of the curriculum introduced the league table to “name and shame” low achieving schools and learners. Additionally, the “judges” of the curriculum competition criticised low achieving learners, including their parents for lack of commitment to the ethos of the school competition. Concerns abound that the school system is unnecessarily failing too many learners. And the evidence for this argument is well documented. An inquiry is required to determine why less than twelve per cent of learners annually advance to universities and vocational colleges.
Lesson five: Learner cheating vs grade inflation
Covid-19 unleashed unimaginable hardships on teachers and learners in 2020. In addition to the Covid-19 crisis, reports of learner cheating overshadowed grade 11 results in Namibia. Similarly, suspicions of grade inflation also undermined the results. Critics believe that some schools inflated their grades as a secret weapon to improve or maintain their standing on the league table. If the reports on cheating and grade inflation are true, the two practices undermined the credibility of the school system and the quality of grades awarded, thereof. Inflating grades is meaningless to higher institutions of learning and future employers. It is therefore essential that the handlers of our school system must ensure that learners get grades that reflect the curriculum offering and their efforts.
Lesson six: Confusion, confusion, confusion
Ironically, the department of education taught us why our new curriculum must focus on analysis and critical thinking. You may recall that before and after the results were released, the department released numerous versions of promotion and admission guidelines. However, the promotion and admission policy for grade 11 graduates remains very confusing and shocking for many parents and learners.
Confusing and shocking because the policy decisions were ill advised and incoherent. The promotion policy was shambolic and based on an error in reasoning. The policy statement destroyed the future career paths of hundreds of children. It is only progressive education policies that will launch Namibia into an economic giant whose outputs will benefit all its people.
Thus, the education department should develop and implement policies, which unleashes massive amounts of human potential and improve citizens’ standard of living.