The third edition of the Bank Windhoek Grade 8 and 9 Mathematics Teachers Workshop hosted 40 teachers from the Zambezi, Kavango-East and Kavango-West regions from Friday, 14 until Sunday, 16 February 2025.
The event, which took place at the Rock Lodge outside Okahandja, connected teachers who shared their challenges and achievements and enhanced their mathematical skills and personal growth. Sponsored by Bank Windhoek, the workshop is hosted biannually in collaboration with the African Leadership Institute (ALI) and the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. Bank Windhoek’s Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sponsorships, Bronwyn Moody, said,
“Bank Windhoek commits to equipping teachers with the necessary skills and teaching methods to help teachers achieve the best possible outcomes for their subject matter, themselves, and their learners.”
She added that the Bank is dedicated to journeying with all teachers to unlock their learners’ potential, enabling Namibia’s education system to thrive and produce Namibians who will rise to the challenge of contributing to an industrialised and prosperous nation. Director of Training at ALI, Dr. Chrisna Von Gericke-Fourie, encouraged attendees to absorb the lessons and impart their knowledge to teachers who had not attended the workshop. She added that all the teachers positively responded to the facilitated sessions, including soft skills development, financial literacy, and teaching methods. A teacher from Nkurenkuru Combined School, Yvonne Sikuka, described the event as the best workshop she has ever attended. “I learned that as a teacher, my cup should be filled first before I can pour out to the learners. My attitude and character should be good for me to teach and motivate learners effectively.”
Another teacher from Leevi Hakusembe Secondary School, Leevi Sisindi, said the workshop’s highlight was learning about assessments and marking. “If assessment is not done properly, our earners will not know what is needed from the syllabus. I also learned how to set and formulate suitable questions and properly mark learners’ work,” he said. Sisindi added that conversing with other teachers allowed him to identify learning gaps created by many factors that teachers can address. Fernando Livingi from Mupapama Combined School said he learned how to be a leader and positively influence his learners.
“The workshop was fruitful and enjoyable. It has transformed my life to practice what I have learned while helping the Namibian child excel in Mathematics to apply it in the classroom and their lives,” he said. The Bank Windhoek Grade 8 and 9 Mathematics Teachers Workshop’s first gathering took place in February 2024, while the second intake of teachers was in June 2024; after this third session, the fourth one will take place in March 2025. A total of one hundred and forty teachers have received training since its inception.