Hardap Governor Salomon April has urged learners to study hard so that they can perform well in this year's examinations.

Governor April visited the Mariental Secondary School, where he used the opportunity to motivate learners and teachers to take education seriously.

April's visit to some schools in the region came as a result of last year's poor performance of NSSCO results countrywide.

"Education is not a privilege for a Namibian child; it is a right; it is a must-have commodity; it is an economic comedy that you need to survive, and thus you should know that when you study, when you learn, education being the responsibility of all means it is not just for you; it is for this nation; it is for the world."

The governor also called on learners to respect their parents and guardians. 

"Every parent today is struggling to help you attend school. They are giving everything they have to see you through your education. In the meantime, what do we do? We are not serious; we are playing. Change your attitude. Let me see a changed boy and a changed girl after today."

The Deputy Director of Education in the Hardap Region, Asumptha Kaoseb, urged learners to do more to ensure that this year's results are improved.

"For Hardap Region, 15.6% of the learners who sat for Grade 11 qualified for AS Level. Can you see there is a problem? What is happening? What is the root cause of only 15.6% of our learners qualifying for AS Level? The Hardap Region was a region to be reckoned with, and it can still be a region to be reckoned with."

The Hardap Governor will be visiting a number of schools in the region to engage teachers, learners, parents, and other stakeholders.