Deputy Director for Lifelong Learning Herbert Karapo has called on educators in the Kavango West Region to strengthen accountability and consistency in teaching, while congratulating stakeholders for improved academic results.

"At the ordinary level, we were number two. At AS level, we were number one," Karapo said. "I must applaud the role of our inspectors, principals, teachers, and school board members. You are the foot soldiers on the ground doing an important job."

Experts shared factors contributing to learners' poor performance, particularly in mathematics.

Hilma Mpareke, Head of Department at Sitopogo Combined School, pointed to fear and lack of interest: "Learners believe mathematics is just too difficult – it's common everywhere. Even teachers in the staff room say, 'Leave it to the maths teachers,' but we're all expected to know the basics. This fear comes from negative influences, even at home."

Senior Education Officer Ellion Sikukumwa highlighted training gaps: "At senior primary, teachers must teach without calculators. For Grades 8 and 9, Paper 1 requires writing without them – you see the root cause. It starts from university training, which doesn't match the field's demands. If we want to fix mathematics in the country, start with teacher training."

Maths teacher Pius Mukuve at Kandjimi Murangi Senior Secondary School raised concerns about technology: "My worry is what will happen to mathematics in five or ten years, especially with artificial intelligence like ChatGPT and apps that simplify answers. University students rely too much on tools – I see it when helping them prepare for exams."

Education officials say addressing these challenges through data-informed interventions will be critical to improving academic outcomes in the region.