Deputy Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka appealed to school principals, teachers and stakeholders to embrace the revised curriculum positively and with determination to successfully face the challenges, it is associated with. Nghipondoka made the appeal whilst addressing those attending the Oshikoto Education Directorate consultative meeting on issues of the revised curriculum, examination results and reports and the promotion requirement policy guideline at Omuthiya here over the weekend. She wants teachers at their individual schools to be in charge of the education system and to avoid a blame game and/or finger-pointing. “Curriculum reform is a must and we have to embrace it together as a team,” urged the deputy minister, adding that all education stakeholders, starting from a cleaner to top education officials, should be involved in the education reform process. She indicated that the new curriculum is about bringing a Namibian child on a par with other children in the world, especially in terms of qualification for world tertiary education. Nghipondoka’s sentiments follow complaints in education circles that the revised curriculum has several shortcomings such as untrained teachers, relevant materials and boarding schools. The new curriculum is a result of the 2011 National Education Conference, which suggested the review of the education system in accordance with the challenges and needs of the Namibian society, reducing the number of subjects in junior secondary and expanding on a higher level in the senior secondary phase. It is also to ensure the reintroduction of technical and vocational subjects in the school curriculum. The new curriculum has it that the junior primary is Grade 1-3, the senior primary is from Grade 4-7 and Grade 8-9 is junior secondary. The National Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) level is a two-year course covered in Grade 10-11, while the National Senior Secondary Certificate High (NSSCH) level is to be replaced by Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) level, a one-year course to be covered in Grade 12, Nghipondoka told her audience. The revised curriculum was received with mixed feelings, with a section of the society accusing the government of introducing it prematurely or before schools are provided with needed resources. “There was never a curriculum without challenges and therefore we have to work together to turn those challenges into successes,” suggested Nghipondoka. -NAMPA