Unemployed teachers’ concerns will form part of ongoing dialogue: Oshana CRO

By: Nduuvundi David

Oshana Chief Regional Officer, Teopolina Hamutumua, says the petition submitted by unemployed qualified teachers will form part of ongoing dialogue as they engage on solutions that balance the demand of quality education with available resources.

Hamutumua received the petition from about 100 unemployed teachers who marched from the Oshana regional library to the regional director’s office.

Similarly, another group of unemployed teachers staged a demonstration in Windhoek.

Chairperson of the Oshana Unemployed Qualified Teachers, Mariam Kambonde, called on the ministry to suspend education training courses for five years.

She said over 8 000 teachers remained unemployed between 2017 and 2023, with more than 1 000 graduates entering the job market this year.

Kambonde said the ministry has failed to put proper measures in place to address the issue.
She also said the ministry continue to employ unqualified teachers.

While receiving the petition, Hamutumua, said the graduates concerns are legitimate and their desire to serve the nation is both understood and respected.

She added that the petition will be submitted to relevant authorities within the ministry for careful consideration.
“As we receive your concerns today, let me reiterate the ministry’s commitment to creating an environment where every trained teacher has the opportunity to contribute to nation-building through education,” said Hamutumua.

In a statement, issued by education ministry executive director Erastus Haitengela said the mismatch between teacher supply and demand remains a challenge. He explained that training institutions continue to produce more teachers than the system can absorb.

Haitengela added that the ministry has urged institutions to reduce intakes in saturated fields and prioritise scarce specialisations.

He also noted that 700 to 800 teaching posts are created annually, despite constraints on the public wage bill.