On December 23, 2010, the Ministry of Education released the results of Grade 10 or the Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination.

A total of 33,570 candidates sat for this Examination as full-time learners.

Another 9.669 part-time candidates sat for the same Examination. Of the full time candidates, 7,187 will qualify to proceed to Grade 11 this year.

This constitutes 51.2 percent of the full-time candidates. To qualify to proceed to Grade 11, a candidate should score an average of 23 points in six best subjects. A candidate should also score a minimum of an F-symbol in English Language.

Candidates normally sit for nine subjects for the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination (JSCE). It should also be noted that English is a medium of instruction from Grade V and throughout the Education system.

The Education Ministry commented: "On average, since 1993 the percentage of learners qualifying for admission (to Grade 11) has been between a minimum of 37.2 percent and a maximum of 51.2 percent".

The Ministry exhorted the nation: "This status (state) of affairs surely calls of all of us as a nation to embark upon a holistic transformation of our education system".

Before we embark on "a holistic transformation of our education system", it is important for the nation to understand that education system. In particular, it is important to appreciate the meaning of the results of the JSCE.

What is the source of JSCE? What is the nature of JSCE? This paper endeavours to provide broad answers to these two crucial questions.

The Curriculum

Assessment of learning outcomes is premised on an organized learning opportunities in which learners engage. The learning opportunities are contained in a plan known as a curriculum. The word curriculum is derived from the Latin word currere, meaning to run. It captures an image of a race-chariot engaged in a competition. The purpose of education is fundamentally to sort learners in term of learning outcomes. Embedded in the curriculum is the notion of competition.

The curriculum is constructed from three sources: the organized subject matter or discipline; the problems and values of society; and the needs and interests of the learners. The disciplines or subjects represent the different modes of knowing. For example, sciences represent the empirical mode of learning; Mathematics and languages represent the symbolic modes o learning; and art and sport represent the aesthetic mode of learning.

At the organizational level, the curriculum is structured into its rationale, its aims and objectives, its content; its instructional strategies; and its assessment procedures. In order to meet the different aptitudes and needs of the learners the curriculum is organized in coherent sequences. The scope of its learning experiences should be complete and comprehensive.

Learners engage with the curriculum on the cognitive, affective and psycho-motor domains. This is where the learning difference among the learners manifest themselves. Some learners are strong in the cognitive or empirical domain. Such learners are likely to achieve better in sciences. Other learners are more adept in the affective domain.

They are likely to perform better in symbolic subjects such as languages. Another group of learners are strong in the psychomotor domain. They are likely to perform better in art and sports. The importance of a diversified curriculum cannot therefore be over-emphasized.

This is the problem of our current educational offerings. The curriculum is too much biased towards cognitive development. It ignores the psycho-motor and affective development. Diversification of the learning engagements is the key to addressing the wastage of grade repetition in education.

We need to develop the psycho-motor skills through vocational education, sports schools, ICT centres, etc. We should enhance affective or aesthetic performance by providing opportunities for art and culture development. In this way our education system shall capture the needs, interests and aptitudes of different learners.

Howard Earl Gardner in his classic work Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligence (1993), correctly observed: " Nowadays an increasing number of researchers believe that there exists a multitude of intelligences, quite independent of each other; that each intelligence has its own strengths and constraints; that the mind is far from unencumbered at birth; and that it is unexpected difficult to teach things that go against early 'naïve' theories of that challenge the natural lines of force within an intelligence and its matching domains'. Clearly, there is a case here for diversification of opportunities in education.

This was the initial purpose of education reform and renewal in independent Namibia. In the Memorandum, titled: The National Integrated Education System for Emergent Namibia (1990), I wrote: "In the context of the national education, the national policies should enhance equity and equal opportunity for all; education programmes must be accessible to all and the education content must reflect the total national panorama: its diversity and convergence". I further emphasized: "The content, structure, organization and administration of the national Education System should, therefore, reflect the basic principles of people's participation, unity of thought and practice; unity as pre-requisite to national harmony; and the functionality and practicality of the educational outcomes." This was the core aspiration of educational transformation in independent Namibia. Unfortunately this goal could not be fully realized because of the fragmentation of the Education Sector in 1995. The reform was aborted! Perhaps it is time to return to the original purpose of education.

Having clarified in detail the content of education, that is the curriculum, it is now opportune to focus on the nature of educational assessment, such as the Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination. What is its meaning?

Assessing

Learning

outcomes

The Junior Secondary Certificate Examination is a nation-wide assessment procedure. In 2010, a total of 584 schools took part in this examination.

The examination has two components: formative and summative assessments.

The formative assessment takes place throughout the school year. It enables teachers to assess how learners over the course of teaching and learning are making progress or lack of it. Formative assessment is essentially diagnostic in nature. It provides feedback to both the teachers and learners which enable changes to be made in instruction.

Formative or continuous assessment results generally constitute one-third of the total mark at the end of the year.

However, the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination is a summative assessment. It takes place at the end of Grade 10.

The summative assessment summarizes the learning outcomes after ten years of schooling. The summative assessment is characterized as assessment of learning and is contrasted with formative assessment, which is assessment for learning.

Both formative and summative assessments are norm-referenced achievement tests as opposed to criterion-referenced tests. Criterion or standards-referenced tests are intended to measure how well a person has learned a specific task. Performance standards are defined and the candidate's performances are measured against such standards.

Norm-referenced achievement tests are meant to compare test takers against each other. Scores are reported as a percentage rank with half scoring above and half scoring bellow the mid-point. Such a test is meant to sort learners. In such an assessment there is no possibility that all candidates will score hundred percent. Some will score better than others.

This brings me back to two issues, namely, that education is a sorting system and that repetition is a waste of money. Implied in the curriculum is competition among learners. Improvement in JSC Examination can only be observed if the majority of learners score above the norm that is above fifty percent. This issue shall become clear when we analyse the 2010 JSC Examination results.

In a norm-referenced examination repetition of a grade does not necessary help the learners. Repeating learners have to repeat all nine subjects offered in Grade 10. The new higher flyers entering Grade 10 are likely to push the norm up. The repeaters shall find it difficult to perform beyond the new norm.

The best option the repeaters have is to take two or three subjects with the Namibia College of Open Learning (NAMCOL). This will enable them to concentrate and deepen their knowledge in these few subjects.

In this way they will be able to compete with the higher flyers. Alternatively, repeaters could be better helped through the diversification of learning opportunities. This is possible in the areas of skills development, vocational education and training, sports, art and culture. I would urge the Ministry of Education to conduct a survey to determine how repeaters have been performing during the last four years.

It is important to make education decision on the basis of informed considerations rather than on popular demand. This brings me to the consideration of the meaning of Grade 10 results.

Understanding the meaning of Grade 10 results

During our discussion of curriculum and assessment we discovered that education is a competitive undertaking and assessment is a mechanism of determining winners and losers. In this section we are going to discuss the winning regions, schools, boys and girls. The losers shall also become obvious.

As stated earlier, of the 33,570 full-time candidates who sat JSC Examination only 17.187 will qualify for admission to Grade 11. The rest have performed bellow the norm. Qualification to Grade 11 is determined by reaching a threshold of 23 points in the best six subjects plus a minimum of F in English Language. One wonders whether there would have been a difference if all nine subjects were added up to an average score in order to determine whether more or less candidate will have qualified for Grade 11.

The ranking assumes that the norm is 50 percent. Regions performing bellow this norm are under performing. The winning Regions are Erongo, Oshikoto, Omusati and to a certain extend Caprivi. The Omusati Region has been consistently improving over the last two years. Mrs Anna Ester Nghipondoka, the Regional Director of Education, should be congratulated in this regard. The Erongo and Oshikoto Regions have consistently held the positions of either number One or number Two. Consistence in performance is important because it indicates stability. If the performance of the whole country was going to improve Regions with high learner number should endeavour to perform at least on the norm or above the norm. These are Ohangwena (5074 learners), Khomas (4698 learners), Oshana (3291 learners), and Kavango (3256 learners).

As I indicated in my comments on the 1999 - 2000 Grade 10 results, rural/urban differences in learning outcomes has been smoothed. The great concern is what to do with the "Ghetto Schools". These are the schools in Black Townships of urban areas. These schools are normally overcrowded, indisciplined and unruly.

The important observation to make here is that ranking of Regions change when all the subjects which formed part of the Grade 10 Examination are taken into account. This situation may also manifest itself at individual candidates' level. If learners are found to have been penalized because some of their symbols were ignored that will be unfair to such learners.

Gender differences in performance is an important consideration. Education as a sorting mechanism has a potential for social reproduction of inequality. We shall compare gender performance in key subjects of Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Sciences and English as a Second Language. Average performance for girls in Mathematics was 33.1 percent compared to 34.5 percent for boys. Performance of girls in Physical Science was 44.8 percent compare to boys of 46.5 percent. Performance of girls in Life Science was 44.4 percent compared to boys of 44.6 percent. Performance of girls in English as Second Language was 50.9 percent compared to boys of 49.1 percent. Boys tend to perform better in empirical subjects than girls. Girls tend to perform better in symbolic subject than boys. The differences in performance between girls and boys is not very significant. With a concerted effort aimed at achieving performance parity between genders the situation can be improved.

Policy implications

Policy choices in education have social and cost implications. Such choices should be made after careful consideration of consequences. It is not advice- able to base policy choices in order to satisfy the gallery. Careful consideration of social benefits against affordability in the long run shall help to keep the education system in balance.

A few years ago the Ministry of Education decided to scrap the Basic Education Teachers' Diploma in favour of training Primary School teachers to the level of a Bachelor's Degree. From the point of view of teacher status this decision is laudable. However, from affordability point of view, the decision has serious financial implications. If Primary School teachers are going to be remunerated on the basis of their qualifications, as the case now, Primary School teachers graduating from Colleges of Education shall start to inflate the salary bill of the Ministry of Education. From the management point of view, the Ministry shall be faced with the untenable situation of paying people doing the same job differently until all the Basic Education Teachers Diploma holders retire. I trust the Ministry shall find a creative way of addressing this problem.

According to the results of Grade 10 Examination there are pertinent issues facing the Ministry of Education. They include:

- What measures should be taken to help Regions which are performing persistently bellow the national norm?

- How could pass rates be improved in key subjects of Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Science, History, Geography, English as a Second Language, Accounting and Information Technology?

- How could the value grades be improved to be concentrated more from A-C?

- What should be done to ensure gender parity?

These questions are pedagogical. They could be dealt with through the Education and Training Improvement Programme (ETSIP).

There are, however, systemic policy issues which needs urgent attention. These include:

- How could educational opportunities be diversified in order to cater for different learning needs and aptitudes?

- Should the curriculum be narrowed to few subjects? What are the implications choice?

- Should the examination system be changed from Norm-referenced to Criterion-referenced? What are the implications to cost, expertise and pedagogy?

- Should there be another nationwide examination at Grade7 to weed out under performers? What are the social consequences?

- Are too many Combined Schools allowed to offer Grade 10 without corresponding resources?

- Is time being optimally utilized in schools?

Since the Ministry is planning to hold a national conference on Education sometimes this year I trust that the Conference shall find answers to some of these questions.

The wise council from the UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, is in order here to conclude my rendering:

" The lives and the normal development of children should have first call on society's concerns and capacities and children should be able to depend upon that commitment in good times and bad, in normal time and in times of emergency, in times of peace and in time of war, in times of prosperity and in times of recession."

- Nahas Angula holds a Cert. of Adult Ed (Unza), Ba. Ed (Unza), MA (Columbia) and M.Ed (Columbia).

References

1. Angula, N, 1990 "The National Integrated Education System for Emergent Namibia: Draft Proposal for Education Reform and Renewal", Windhoek.

2. Bellack Arno, A and Kliebard Herbert, M (eds), 1977, Curriculum and Evaluation, American Educational Research Association.

3. Lewis Arthur, J and Miel Allice, 1972, Supervision for Improved Instruction: New Challenges, New Perspectives, Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc. Balmount, California.

4. The National Center for Fair and Open Testing "Norm-Reference Achievement Tests", USA.

5. Boston, Carol, 2002, "The Concept of Formative Assessment" , Practical Assessment and Evaluation, USA.

6. Department of National Education Assessment "Press Release 2010 JSC Full Time Candidates", Ministry of Education.

7. Garadner, Howard, 1983, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligence, New York, Basic Books!