Parliament probes tribal favouritism in teacher promotions
A Namibian parliamentary committee is investigating allegations of tribal favouritism in teacher promotions, emphasizing the need for merit-based appointments. The committee also addressed concerns regarding teacher housing and the suspension of hardship allowances.
Why it matters
The probe addresses systemic issues in the education sector that affect teacher retention and the quality of instruction in rural areas.
Claims of tribal favouritism in the promotion of teachers have come under the spotlight, with a parliamentary committee calling for fairness, diversity and merit in the appointment of teachers to senior positions.
The Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN) raised concerns that “tribal favouritism” in promotions has resulted in unequal representation in senior positions in some regions.
The National Council standing committee on education, science, information and communication technology and youth development has acknowledged the concerns, but cautioned that such claims should be supported by statistics.
Committee chairperson Bethuel Tjaveondja revealed this last week during the National Council sessions while tabling the report.
The report was adopted on 21 August following role-player engagements held at Otjiwarongo from 6 to 10 July.
He said Namibian law does not restrict appointments to people from specific regions and stressed the need to balance inclusivity and diversity with merit and good performance.
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