Since independence in 1990, various efforts have been made to improve the quality and management of Namibian schools, including the Basic Education Project (BEP-Project). In collaboration with the Geselschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), the BEP-Project has supported the implementation of important Government programs, such as Lower Primary reform and the cluster system. In 1995 the BEP-Project began to address educational needs in the Rundu education region. It was believed that Rundu had in the past been the most neglected region, especially with regard to education. The school cluster system was devised to facilitate new ways of education service delivery and to address the question of improving education standards. The purpose of this research is to answer the question: "How do the management and staff of a secondary school in the Rundu region of education experience a school cluster system?" To this end, the research seeks to determine what potential the cluster system holds and how that may be realised, and to also establish whether there is any evidence of change in management practices. A case study method has been employed to gain insight into the cluster system as a management tool. Ten respondents, all of whom have been employed at the school in question for a considerable period of time, were interviewed before and after the implementation of the cluster system. The research disclosed that disparities and tension in the school were legacies of the colonial education system, but that the cluster system had bridged the gap and enhanced uniformity and cooperation. Sharing of ideas on educational issues and constant interaction created a conducive environment for academic performance. The case study further disclosed that parental involvement in decision making is still a course for concern and that the cluster system has not yet addressed this issue. The study has shown that decentralisation has taken place and that rural schools are no longer operating in isolation. A lack of innovative ideas has hampered training as a cluster activity. From the research, it is evident that schools have previously operated on an individual basis, but that the cluster system has created the opportunity for schools to interact on a regular basis. This study is timely and of national importance. I anticipate that this study will be of use to policy makers in making decisions for the future development of the cluster system.

While women constitute more than 51% of the population and far outnumber men in teaching positions in Namibia, very few occupy positions of leadership. Male candidates are still favoured for top positions, thereby denying women the chance to gain entrance to these positions. One of the reasons for this imbalance seems to be that, in spite of conscious political effort and legislation, women may still be perceived as less effective leaders than men. This research focused on leadership in education, in particular school principals, and explored the perceptions of female principalship held by school inspectors. Three school inspectors from the Rundu Education Region were purposefully selected and interviewed. Inspectors were selected on the grounds of their considerable influence in the selection and appointment of school principals. The study found that these inspectors favour school principals who show commitment to their work, have good interpersonal working relationships, are caring, good listeners, visionary and produce good results. The inspectors attribute female principals’ success to their traditionally perceived characteristics, such as caring leadership and ability to develop good human relations. Instead of perceiving these qualities as professionally negative (as is sometimes argued in the literature) the inspectors see them as indisputable assets to leadership. The respondents acknowledge the cultural stereotyping that may have influenced male attitudes to women in the past, but argue that good leadership is not specific to gender, but part of the qualities a person possesses, regardless of sex. This study concludes that, contrary to what has been reported in many studies, these inspectors perceive women principals as effective – equal to their male counterparts or sometimes even more effective - because they are caring, well organized and good at communicating and establishing relations with others. Though these qualities are different from the traditional masculine qualities which include independence and emotional strength, the respondents recognize and legitimize them as preferred qualities in current effective leadership practice.

This portfolio discusses various important aspects that affect teacher education. The portfolio has become an important tool for assessment in education. The research component of the masters' course that I attended is reflected in this portfolio. To complete this course several aspects were covered. The educational reform process in the Namibian context requires the use of appropriate resources, an environment conducive to learning, active involvement of the learners and teachers who should have a better understanding of the system adopted. Teacher educators are seen as important in transforming Namibian education in the sense of breaking the cycle of authoritarianism and inequities that existed in schooling prior to independence in 1990, and that still continue to exist in many Namibian schools today. Much effort has been devoted to creating conditions in colleges of education, where future teachers experience the same kind of teaching and learning that is envisioned for schools in the country. To accomplish this a great deal of effort has been devoted to the professional development of teacher educators. This masters' course was initiated to address the shortcomings of teacher education in Namibia. The preparation of teacher educators to be willing and able to prepare teachers in a manner that is consistent with national educational goals has been a neglected element of educational reform in Third World countries (Taylor and Peacock, 1997). Nahas Angula defines teachers as critical agents in creating the reform in relation to several broad principals: access, equity, quality, and democracy. As Ebbutt and Elliot (1998) point out, these principles are defined in very broad terms and provide the opportunity for teachers, teacher educators, and administrators to translate the ideals in particular contexts through practical reflection and deliberation. The Namibian reforms are underpinned by democratic ideals, the intention being to develop broad participation in defining and developing the reform tenets in specific contexts. In Namibia it has been recognized that qualitative changes in classroom practice will only occur when teachers understand them and accept them as their own. It is also recognized that because many teachers have been educated under the authoritarian system of the past, conceptual changes are needed in the minds of the teachers for the reforms to be successful. These include a shift from the belief of teachers as civil servants who are merely to "deliver" a curriculum dictated from above, to one of teachers as reflective professionals who play important roles in interpreting and defining the reforms and in giving meaning to such values as learner-centered and democratic education, continuous assessment, and critical inquiry (Swarts 1998). In the case of Namibia, we have a situation where there is an attempt to fundamentally transform an authoritarian education system that emphasized repetition and rote learning of received knowledge to one where learners are active participants in the learning process and where the curriculum is relevant to and respectful of different cultural traditions and communities. The learner-centered philosophy that guides post-independence educational reforms in Namibia calls for breaking down the authoritarian teacher-student relationships of the past. It encourages teachers to begin instruction by gaining an understanding of their learners' existing knowledge, skills, and understandings and to actively involve them in the learning process toward the goal of preparing citizens for a democratic society. The background above will help the readers to understand the sections covered in this portfolio. In the first part, the portfolio looks at a case study that analyses pre- and post-independence teacher education in Namibia. This study focuses on the Rundu College of Education and investigates the implementation of the Basic Education Teacher Diploma (BETD) Broad Curriculum in relation to the History syllabus. This paper presents information on what led to post-independence teacher education reforms in Namibia and why the reform was necessary. The BETD Broad Curriculum advocates the principles underpinning teacher education reforms in Namibia. The analysis looks at whether the History syllabus applies the principles of teacher education reform in relation to practice in the classroom. This paper addresses the historical background of a History curriculum, which shows the importance of a contextual understanding of the theoretical framework. The second paper looks at the theories underpinning the pre- and post-independence curriculum and the reform process in Namibia, how each theory views knowledge and why a decision was taken to apply them. The third paper is a literature review that links the epistemological ideals of reform to the classroom situation. This paper provides the basis for a small-scale empirical research. The research proposal included in the portfolio emerged from the earlier studies and identifies a key area for investigation within the domain of my particular area of teaching. The identified research problem investigated is presented in the final paper of the portfolio. These research findings can be applied to different situations in different schools. The portfolio is completed by the presentation of a short reflection of the role of the portfolio in this masters' course.

<p><font size="3"> <p>Namibia has recorded an ascending trend of maternal and neonatal mortality rate from 225 &ndash / 449 per 100 000 women from 1992 to 2006, and 38 &ndash / 46 per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006 respectively. Kavango Region in Namibia is one among the top seven regions with high maternal and infant mortality rate. Most pregnant women in peri-urban areas of Rundu District in the Kavango region, where this study was conducted, attend ante-natal care services but do not use public health facilities for delivery. The health records from the public health facilities in Rundu, especially from Nkarapamwe clinic and Rundu Hospital maternity section, reveal that although the pregnant women comply with the required standard policy of a minimum of three visits per pregnancy or more, over 40% of women who attend public ante-natal care clinics do not deliver in the public health facility. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of women regarding obstetric care in public health facilities in Kehemu settlement, a peri-urban area of Rundu town. The objectives of the study were to explore the perceptions of women on accessibility and acceptability of maternity services in public health facilities. An explorative qualitative study design using focus group discussion as a data collection method was conducted with three groups of women. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to select participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the High Degree Committee of University of the Western Cape and permission to use data from local facilities was obtained from the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Participants were recruited on their own free will and they signed an agreement on confidentiality. A data reduction process was used for analysis. The study findings indicate that women wish to use public health facilities for deliveries due to perceived benefits, in particular, safety for the mother and the baby and that those services are<font size="3"> affordable. However a number of reasons hinder women to access services including the attitudes of health care providers, inability to afford transport at night and cultural influences. The study recommends that delivery services at the local clinic be expanded from eight to twenty-four hours / an information campaign on pregnancy and birth complications as well as the benefits of delivering in a public facility be implemented / refresher training for nurses to improve their caring practices during delivery should be considered and that a similar research be conducted with care providers to ascertain ways to improve maternity services in the public health facility in the area. </font></p> </font></p>

<p><font size="3"> <p>Namibia has recorded an ascending trend of maternal and neonatal mortality rate from 225 &ndash / 449 per 100 000 women from 1992 to 2006, and 38 &ndash / 46 per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006 respectively. Kavango Region in Namibia is one among the top seven regions with high maternal and infant mortality rate. Most pregnant women in peri-urban areas of Rundu District in the Kavango region, where this study was conducted, attend ante-natal care services but do not use public health facilities for delivery. The health records from the public health facilities in Rundu, especially from Nkarapamwe clinic and Rundu Hospital maternity section, reveal that although the pregnant women comply with the required standard policy of a minimum of three visits per pregnancy or more, over 40% of women who attend public ante-natal care clinics do not deliver in the public health facility. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of women regarding obstetric care in public health facilities in Kehemu settlement, a peri-urban area of Rundu town. The objectives of the study were to explore the perceptions of women on accessibility and acceptability of maternity services in public health facilities. An explorative qualitative study design using focus group discussion as a data collection method was conducted with three groups of women. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to select participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the High Degree Committee of University of the Western Cape and permission to use data from local facilities was obtained from the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Participants were recruited on their own free will and they signed an agreement on confidentiality. A data reduction process was used for analysis. The study findings indicate that women wish to use public health facilities for deliveries due to perceived benefits, in particular, safety for the mother and the baby and that those services are<font size="3"> affordable. However a number of reasons hinder women to access services including the attitudes of health care providers, inability to afford transport at night and cultural influences. The study recommends that delivery services at the local clinic be expanded from eight to twenty-four hours / an information campaign on pregnancy and birth complications as well as the benefits of delivering in a public facility be implemented / refresher training for nurses to improve their caring practices during delivery should be considered and that a similar research be conducted with care providers to ascertain ways to improve maternity services in the public health facility in the area. </font></p> </font></p>

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contradiction between the teaching of integration in ETP and the actual practice of compartmentalisation within ETP at the Rundu College of Education. The second part of this study is to explore and examine the way teacher educators could integrate subjects into their specialisation areas at college level. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the following: • The reason (s) why there is a contradiction between the teaching in ETP and the actual practice of compartmentalisation within the ETP. • Examining and investigating factors that have contributed to the teaching in a compartmentalised way.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This thesis attempted to develop insight into why, contrary to expectation and predictions, learners in Rundu obtained better scores in a standardised English comprehension test than learners in Katima Mulilo, given that the conditions of teaching and learning were judged to be least favourable in Rundu. / South Africa

Magister Public Health - MPH / Namibia has recorded an ascending trend of maternal and neonatal mortality rate from 225 – 449 per 100 000 women from 1992 to 2006, and 38 – 46 per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006 respectively. Kavango Region in Namibia is one among the top seven regions with high maternal and infant mortality rate. Most pregnant women in peri-urban areas of Rundu District in the Kavango region, where this study was conducted, attend ante-natal care services but do not use public health facilities for delivery. The health records from the public health facilities in Rundu, especially from Nkarapamwe clinic and Rundu Hospital maternity section, reveal that although the pregnant women comply with the required standard policy of a minimum of three visits per pregnancy or more, over 40% of women who attend public ante-natal care clinics do not deliver in the public health facility.The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of women regarding obstetric care in public health facilities in Kehemu settlement, a peri-urban area of Rundu town. The objectives of the study were to explore the perceptions of women on accessibility and acceptability of maternity services in public health facilities.An explorative qualitative study design using focus group discussion as a data collection method was conducted with three groups of women. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to select participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the High Degree Committee of University of the Western Cape and permission to use data from local facilities was obtained from the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Participants were recruited on their own free will and they signed an agreement on confidentiality. A data reduction process was used for analysis.The study findings indicate that women wish to use public health facilities for deliveries due to perceived benefits, in particular, safety for the mother and the baby and that those services are affordable. However a number of reasons hinder women to access services including the attitudes of health care providers, inability to afford transport at night and cultural influences.The study recommends that delivery services at the local clinic be expanded from eight to twenty-four hours; an information campaign on pregnancy and birth complications as well as the benefits of delivering in a public facility be implemented; refresher training for nurses to improve their caring practices during delivery should be considered and that a similar research be conducted with care providers to ascertain ways to improve maternity services in the public health facility in the area.

The Prefecture of Pella bought Heirachabis in 1895 and occupied it in 1898. This marked the beginning of the Mission in the South. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate officially started on 8 December 1896. They were allowed to minister among the Europeans and among Africans, not ministered to by a Protestant Mission. The first expansion was at Klein Windhoek, and at Swakopmund being the gateway to the Protectorate. The Tswana invited the Mission to help them after they had arrived from the Cape. Aminuis and Epukiro were founded. After 1905 the Mission was allowed to open stations among the Herera and Damara. Doebra, Gobabis, Usakos, Omaruru, and Okombahe were the result. Seven expeditions were undertaken to reach Kavango. After many failures the first mission became a reality at Nyangana in 1910. Just before the war the expansion reached Grootfontein, Tsumeb and Kokasib. In the South missions were opened at Warmbad, Gabis, Keetmanshoop, Luederitz and Gibeon. World War I scattered the African population of the towns which disturbed the missionary work. The S. A. Administration allowed most missionaries to stay. After the Peace Conference S. W. A. became a Mandate of S. A. In 1924 permission was granted to enter Owambo. The first station was opened in Ukuambi, later followed by Ombalantu and Okatana. In 1926 the Prefecture of Lower Cimbebasia was elevated to the Vicariate of Windhoek, while the Prefecture of Great Namaqualand became the Vicariate of Keetmanshoop in 1930. World War II left the missionary activities undisturbed. In 1943 Magistrate Trollop in Caprivi invited the Catholic Mission in 1943 to come and open educational and health facilities. The South expanded into Stampriet, Witkrans, Aroab, Mariental. The election victory in 1948 in South Africa of the Afrikaner Parties with the resulting apartheid legislation negatively affected the missions in S. W. A. After 1965 the influence of Vatican II became noticeable, while the pressure of the United Nations Organisation moved the territory towards independence. While initially the Catholic Church had been very cautious, in the ?O's and 80's she took a very definite stand in favour of human rights. She also became a full member of the CCN. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

This thesis attempted to develop insight into why, contrary to expectation and predictions, learners in Rundu obtained better scores in a standardised English comprehension test than learners in Katima Mulilo, given that the conditions of teaching and learning were judged to be least favourable in Rundu.