Passed with distinction
In Gobabis, we can celebrate: The long-standing educator and preschool teacher Stephanus Santiago Narib from our partner project Light for the Children, who looks after the steps Schutzengel and steps homes children in the afternoon while handling a wide range of tasks, has passed the “Junior Primary Education” examination with distinction! He has therefore obtained his teaching diploma for primary school and is state-certified. This is an incredible achievement: He grew up in the simplest circumstances, with a large family that he has to support. He lives with them in a small hut and still finds the time and strength for training alongside his work and family!
We were able to make the further training to become a state-certified teacher at the Institute for Open Learning possible with the help of our donors. In other projects run by steps for children and in our partner projects, we also support teacher training and further education so that our steps children receive the best possible care. In 2021, we can look back on a total of 12 further training courses financed by us; some female teachers are currently active and are still completing their modules.
Training continued even during the pandemic
Even during the pandemic, the training courses, which last up to four years and consist of a combination of in-person, online and self-study phases, were able to continue.
Through training and further education in the areas of early childhood education and development, we want to strengthen our caregivers and thereby sustainably improve the education of the steps children. The training courses impart sound knowledge about caring for children at different stages of development, safety, health, hygiene and nutrition, as well as subject-specific didactic knowledge in English and mathematics.
Already now, all teachers bring aspects from their further training into their daily lessons and into their work with children in the projects.
Santiago is staying with us
Now Santiago is a teacher at the state primary school in Gobabis in the mornings, which has rented a few classrooms in the steps buildings, and in the afternoons he continues to look after the Schutzengel and steps homes children together with his steps colleagues.
A big compliment to steps
In some cases, it is difficult to retain the teachers – because as soon as they have completed the additional training, they are occasionally recruited by the state. We see this with both a laughing and a crying eye: On the one hand, it is a great loss for the children in our kindergartens and preschools; on the other hand, we can be proud that we make such good training possible and that the state also employs our teachers without a university degree. We are happy for the employees, who then receive a higher salary. Nevertheless, we naturally try to counteract the departure of our teachers: by transferring more responsibility, offering higher salaries and providing further incentives after the training. In any case, we want to continue making a major contribution to training and further education in this area – education as the key to change.
The cost of further training can vary – tuition and course fees and travel costs to the course locations differ depending on the training.
For 1 year per teacher at the Headstart Montessori Training College, at NamCOL Namibian College of Open Learning or at IOL – Institute for Open Learning, the fee is between €500 – €2,100.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Help here and co-finance further training courses proportionally to strengthen our steps preschool teachers and educators.
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