Oshakati: Over 100 qualified unemployed teachers from the Oshana Region staged a peaceful demonstration at Oshakati on Tuesday, demanding that the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture abolish interviews and implement mass recruitment to address unemployment. The group, comprising both newly qualified educators and those who have been jobless for several years, marched from the Oshana Regional Library to the ministry’s regional office, where they handed over a petition outlining their grievances and demands.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Marian Kambonde, chairperson of the Oshana unemployed qualified teachers, expressed concern over alleged corruption and nepotism in the current recruitment processes. She alleged that qualified teachers are often overlooked in favour of individuals with personal connections, a practice that she claims undermines educational quality and demoralises dedicated professionals.
The teachers’ demands include the immediate abolishment of interviews, the implementation of a mass recruitment strategy, and the creation of a national teacher database. ‘The current interview system acts as a barrier to employment for many qualified individuals, and we want the ministry to replace it with a more transparent and fair recruitment mechanism,’ Kambonde stated. She further urged the ministry to adopt mass recruitment to tackle unemployment among qualified teachers and alleviate classroom overcrowding.
Kambonde also called for immediate reforms to restore fairness, transparency, and dignity within the education system. The unemployed teachers issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture for a response, vowing to camp at the ministry until their demands are met.
Oshana Chief Regional Officer Teopolina Hamutumua received the petition on behalf of the ministry. She assured the demonstrators that their concerns would be submitted to the relevant authorities for careful consideration. ‘It will form part of the ongoing dialogue as we continue to engage on solutions that balance the demands for quality education with the realities of available resources,’ Hamutumua said. She added that the ministry is committed to creating an environment where every trained teacher can contribute to nation-building through education.