Introduction
On October 27, 2002, we arrived in
Namibia as Peace Corps volunteers. All we really knew was that Zac was going to teach math and
I was going to teach English for the next two years. Zac and I had
both graduated from OSU in June 2002; I had my master's in English
secondary education and he had a B.S. in civil engineering. We
married one week after graduation, and flew to Namibia four months later.
This website is a collection of our letters and photos from our two
memorable years in "contrasting beautiful, Namibia."
The Peace Corps provided us with the following information before our
departure:
History | Duties
| Secondary Projects |
Working Conditions | Training
| Living Conditions | Challenges
& Rewards
HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM
Upon attaining independence on March 21, 1990, the Government of Namibia
began reforming and restructuring the education system to include the
rights of individuals to education and to rid itself of all discriminatory
provisions practiced by the former apartheid regime. To address
these inequalities, the entire education system had to be unified and
changed. Against this general background of reform, the government
resolved to use English as the medium of instruction to replace Afrikaans.
The government appealed to the outside world for assistance in tackling
the transition. Since then, education has remained the highest priority
for both the Government of Namibia and The Peace Corps.
A 1997 government report revealed that the qualifications of teachers had
improved substantially between 1993 and 1997. The biggest improvement has
been in the proportion of teachers who have passed grade 12 or a higher
level of academic training. Though qualifications are improving in
general, secondary education continues to be adversely affected by a
shortage of qualified teachers, especially in math, and science. This is
due in large part to the fact that before Independence, Science and
Mathematics were not taught in most schools. At times this was due to the
lack of qualified teachers, but more often because people from certain
ethnic groups were not allowed to further their studies in these fields.
The supply of teachers in the fields of Math and Science is also
influenced by the lack of confidence in use of English, the language in
which these subjects are taught and examined.
This project attempts to address the following issues, problems, and
needs:
-Conversion of national medium of instruction in Namibian secondary
schools from Afrikaans to English.
-Development and implementation of new and more relevant secondary
education curriculum, exams and resource materials.
-Addressing the shortage of teachers in subject areas such as English,
Math and Science.
-Enhancing knowledge and skills of less qualified secondary teachers of
Math, science and English.
-Enhancing the skills of teachers and students in the use of English
across the curriculum.
-Enhancing the knowledge of teachers and students in environmental
education and HIV/AIDS information by integrating it into English, Math
and Science classes.
-Assisting Namibian schools to establish, maintain or upgrade and use new
school libraries, labs and other essential educational resources.
-Assisting the education Ministry’s efforts with gender issues,
especially in terms of high dropout ratio of females at the secondary
level.
Since the opening of the Peace Corps in 1990, more than 350 Volunteers
have served in the seven educational regions of Namibia as secondary
teachers of mathematics, science and English. There are currently 80
Volunteers serving in the education sector. They are assigned to teach in
five of the seven Educational regions of Namibia, working as secondary
school teachers, pre-service and in-service teacher trainers, and school
and community resource volunteers. The responsibilities of Volunteers in
secondary schools are mainly threefold: classroom teaching, peer coaching
and resource material development.
History | Duties | Secondary
Projects | Working Conditions | Training
| Living Conditions | Challenges
& Rewards
YOUR PRIMARY DUTIES
You will be assigned to one of the secondary schools in Namibia. Schools
at the secondary level range in size from about 300 to 1,000 students and
offer instruction in grades 8-12. These schools are located throughout the
country, but the heaviest concentration is in the far northern region
(formerly called Owamboland) where 53 percent of the student population
lives. The Northern region is the most densely populated region of
Namibia. Major academic subjects usually offered are Geography, History,
Physical Science, Agriculture, Accounting, Math, Economics, Biology,
English and Afrikaans. Additionally, students may also choose between
Typing and Home Science.
As a Volunteer, you will be under the direct supervision of the principal
of the school. The weekly load for teachers can vary, but is usually
between 20 and 30 periods. In some schools where there is a grave shortage
of teachers, the load can shoot up to 35 periods a week. Each period lasts
40 minutes. As a valued staff member, you will also be nominated to
committees that work on various aspects of administering and organizing
the school. You may also be called upon to organize extra-mural
activities. Your weekly routine can become quite full with the addition of
these activities to your teaching duties, preparing lessons, marking
homework and grading exams.
The school year is divided into three trimesters; each separated by a two
to five week break. Except for the 24 days vacation you earn from The
Peace Corps each year, you will be expected to utilize trimester breaks
to work on special school-related projects, projects in another sector, to
attend Ministry of Education workshops or Peace Corps in-service training
events.
Besides your classroom teaching responsibilities, you will have
opportunities to enhance your own professional skills as well as those of
your Namibian colleagues through formal and informal discussions and
working together within schools. The teaching experience (perhaps without
qualification) of the Namibian staff, coupled with the subject expertise
that you bring represents a rich, mutual learning opportunity. The
peer-coaching role of a Volunteer includes working with co-teachers,
subject heads and headmasters at your school in developing teaching and
learning resources, utilizing both locally available materials and
appropriate external resources.
This assignment will require a high level of motivation, initiative, and
patience. It will also require a certain level of confidence in your
abilities, an enthusiasm for working with students of different age groups
(which may vary from 14-25 years old), and adults (co-teachers), as well
as a good deal of creativity and flexibility. Volunteers assigned to one
of the secondary schools will find themselves working on providing
students with technical skills, and teachers with the professional
insight, skills, and subject knowledge required to promote the principles
of a learner-centered approach, focusing on interactive teaching and
learning. The Namibian education system also includes the promotion of
social responsibility, gender awareness, respect of cultural values,
environmental awareness, national reconciliation, and the use of the
national language, English, as the medium of instruction.
While the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture will continue to
have a critical need for trained teachers at all levels within the system,
the Ministry wishes to maximize the potential spin-off effect from the use
of Volunteers. A major goal of the government is to integrate English
across the curriculum, thus, all Volunteers must be prepared to learn to
teach English. Additionally, Volunteers are often viewed as subject
resources, whose command of the subject matter complements the practical
teaching experience of their co-teachers. Further, about 30 schools offer
computer studies as an examination subject. Additional schools may have
one or more computers for administrators and teachers, and may expect a
volunteer to help train teachers and learners how to use a computer.
History | Duties
| Secondary Projects |
Working Conditions | Training
| Living Conditions | Challenges
& Rewards
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SECONDARY PROJECTS
Activities or projects outside of your primary work are known as secondary
projects, and can be a great opportunity for you to use other skills or
focus on personal interests. Secondary projects are ideally low- or
no-cost endeavors that help communities to address their most pressing
developmental needs.
Volunteers often embark on secondary activities that may link school and
community resources, or which produce more immediately tangible results.
Because you will live and work within the immediate environs of the
school, you will be able to engage the participation and contributions of
community members in such activities. Volunteers have accessed many types
of local and external support to help schools establish or upgrade
school/community libraries, laboratories and create an environment
conducive to learning.
In any secondary project, keep in mind that the principle goal is to
develop the community’s capacity to implement such projects themselves
and, thus, develop self-reliant and sustainable skills. Project ideas and
strategies for encouraging community participation will be discussed
during your pre- and in-service training.
History | Duties
| Secondary Projects |
Working Conditions | Training
| Living Conditions | Challenges
& Rewards
WORKING CONDITIONS
Available Resources
Class sizes are often large, often with 50-65 students per class. Namibia,
however, has a high dropout rate, which usually increases exponentially in
the higher grades. As a result, Volunteers may find themselves teaching
relatively small classes in grades 11 and 12, where the classes in grades
8, 9, and 10 were much larger.
Overall, teachers in Namibia have a variety of material, institutional and
human resources at their disposal. What resources are available at a given
school, however, greatly varies. Unfortunately, some Volunteers may find
that their school buildings and facilities are inadequate, and books and
resource materials are lacking. Schools that offer science and math in
most rural areas are poorly equipped and thus, concentrate on theoretical
aspects only.
Location of Job
Education Volunteers are placed in schools throughout Namibia in most
regions of the country. Teacher are placed in both towns and rural
schools.
Work Hours
Although schools have set hours, Volunteers schedules may vary
tremendously and may include evening and weekend activities. Your typical
work day will be from 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.
Cultural Attitudes and Customs in the Workplace
Teachers and principals in schools for black Namibians have traditionally
been seen as authorities who are above reproach. Even other professionals
who have the potential to assist in school management have traditionally
left school affairs to the school. There remains an almost complete
separation between school and community development. Aside from the
contributions to the school fund, parents play little to no role in their
children’s education. Despite the fact that children (referred to in
Namibia as “learners”) spend substantial time outside of the school
and in the community, few resources are available to support classroom
learning. Historically, a teacher-centered approach to education was
utilized and learners were not encouraged to question or think critically.
Many schools in Namibia have serious learner discipline problems, due to
teachers' lack of knowledge of alternatives to corporal punishment. The
failure and repetition rates in Namibian schools are high and Volunteers
may find themselves teaching much older learners than they expected. In
addition, principals may not have sufficient managerial skills to provide
proper supervision at the Volunteer's school and/or parental support and
supervision of the learners themselves may be almost entirely lacking.
Dress Code
You will be expected to adjust to the high standards set by the Government
regarding professionalism and conduct. These include professional attire.
You will be expected to be presentable in your appearance. Volunteers
often express surprise upon seeing how dressed up teachers are for school
and work. "Smart casual" is the accepted attire for Volunteers.
In general, men should bring dress shoes, slacks, ties, and collared
shirts. Women should bring nice, comfortable cotton dresses, skirts, and
blouses. It is also highly suggested that you bring at least one more
formal outfit, as there will be several occasions throughout your tour
(including your swearing-in ceremony) for which you will need to dress up.
Women tend to dress more formally than men do even on more casual
occasions.
History | Duties
| Secondary Projects |
Working Conditions | Training
| Living Conditions | Challenges
& Rewards
TRAINING FOR YOUR JOB
Before being sworn-in as a Volunteer, you will participate in an intensive
ten-week Community Based Training program. Your training will be composed
of several parts: technical, language/cross-culture, health maintenance, safety
and security, and the role of the Volunteer in development. The bulk of
the training addresses developing and adapting technical skills and
acquiring a required level of language skills.
During training you will live with individual host families. Facilitators
and small groups of trainees meet on a daily basis for intensive sessions.
Most training at the community level takes place in trainees’ homes or
another place chosen by trainees and facilitator. A wide variety of
community members are called upon to cooperate with training activities.
Trainees and facilitators are charged with seeking out local people and
resources. Community-based activities are supplemented with weekly
seminars in which all Volunteers come together at a central location.
Although Volunteers are recruited according to their background and
skills, the transition to working effectively and sensitively in another
culture necessitates country and subject-specific preparation. The
Peace Corps is fortunate to have a two-week long 'model school' in the
pre-service training. Thus, those who have little or no classroom teaching
experience have the opportunity for "real" practice before going
it alone, while the already-trained teachers have a chance to test and
adapt methods used previously in Namibia.
The second component of the training program is the
language/cross-cultural component. Through this component Trainees will
develop initial language competencies and the skills necessary for further
language acquisition. Formal language lessons, guest speakers and
"cultural encounters," such as local celebrations will
complement exercises in observation, participation, adjustment and
assimilation. Trainees may also be asked to do individual informal
research assignments and report back. Language/cultural facilitators not
only teach formal language classes but also serve as cultural and
technical guides for the trainees. Namibian languages are
socio-linguistically diverse, presenting a particularly exciting learning
challenge.
The third component of the training program is the role of the Volunteer
in their host country's development process. During this component,
trainees explore different development approaches and techniques, how
their own attitudes, values and working styles affect their contribution
to development and what we mean when we talk about a "community
based" development effort.
Finally, and as importantly, the pre-service training also includes
approximately 20 hours of health maintenance. This component consists of
personal health care and maintenance lessons, and personal safety policies
and procedures.
During your two-year service, you will have other opportunities to
strengthen your skills and share your knowledge with other Volunteers and
community counterparts. The Peace Corps provides Volunteers with the
opportunity to participate in at least three in-service training
workshops. The focus of these workshops is often Volunteer driven and
based on specific needs such as HIV/AIDS education and awareness.
History | Duties
| Secondary Projects |
Working Conditions | Training
| Living Conditions | Challenges
& Rewards
LIVING CONDITIONS
Your housing is a contribution of the government of Namibia. Housing
varies considerably and might be a Western-style cement block house,
usually with electricity and running water; an apartment attached to a
student boarding facility (hostel); or in the case of more rural junior
secondary schools, a room with a local family. As the government has
invited assistance from a variety of sources, you may also be asked to
share a two-or-three bedroom house with one or two colleagues (either
Namibian or volunteers from other countries). Our expectation is that you
will have a private bedroom, but remember that there is a shortage of
housing for government staff in most areas in Namibia. The Ministry to
which you are assigned is responsible for paying your monthly utilities
and providing you with basic furniture (such as a bed, fridge, stove,
etc).
History | Duties
| Secondary Projects |
Working Conditions | Training
| Living Conditions | Challenges
& Rewards
POTENTIAL CHALLENGES AND
REWARDS
As a Volunteer serving in Namibia, be aware of the fact that Namibia is
still very much in the process of the transition to a fully equitable
democracy. The lingering effects of the former apartheid system are still
very much in evidence in a myriad of subtle and not so subtle ways. As a
result, you may face not only the typical cross-cultural adjustment, but
also an adjustment to living with the remnants of apartheid.
You are likely to experience first hand the many racial and ethnic
divisions in your communities and may find yourself caught in the middle
as you try to serve as a positive force in bringing various groups
together for community development efforts. This may result in you not
feeling fully accepted into any one part of the community, making your
adjustment that much more difficult.
When coming to Namibia, you will need to be prepared for experiencing
discriminatory behavior and practices. This discrimination may be targeted
at other Namibians or at the Volunteers themselves. Be prepared for the
realities of the economic apartheid that still is very much in existence
in Namibia. The bottom line is that Namibia will offer you a special
challenge which requires an extra amount of flexibility, tolerance,
diplomacy, understanding, and positive attitude to overcome. It is,
however, a particularly rewarding experience to be a part of the formation
of a new democracy and to contribute to the healing process of a nation.
While the Peace Corps has a proven track record of supporting the
development of basic education in Namibia, many Namibians’ think that
all Volunteers are teachers. The program is young, still growing and
establishing itself. This can pose a challenge at times because you will
often be called upon to explain your work and presence outside the
classroom. On the other hand, Volunteers have been able to exceed the
expectations of many of their colleagues who were unaware of the
potential.
Another challenge often experienced by Volunteers in the early stages of
their service is the seeming lack of community and parental interest and
involvement in education. The historical delineation of educational
opportunity by race, the lack of formal education in general, and the lack
of rewards for education contributes to this phenomenon, and often the
true causes are not addressed. However, like with most challenges,
Volunteers have found their reward in developing activities that address
the root causes of this problem. Volunteers have developed creative ways
to work with illiterate parents, raise their confidence levels and
institute innovative ways to involve them in school activities.
History | Duties
| Secondary Projects |
Working Conditions | Training
| Living Conditions | Challenges
& Rewards
