Former Deputy Prime Minister John Mutorwa has called for the dignified role of teachers to be restored.

Mutorwa was speaking at the awards ceremony of the best-performing schools in the Mukwe, Kambimba, Shinyungwe, Ndiyona, Shambyu, and Rundu Circuits in the Kavango East Region.

"A teacher at the same time is also a psychologist; the teacher at the same time is a social worker; the teacher at the same time is like a church person, so that you understand the personality of the person before you start to teach, and when we say this, that is what we mean with education."

Mutorwa further highlighted that the basic and essential virtues and values of learners should be laid down already in their parental homes.

"The main responsibility for schools is really an extension of the parental home, and teachers are the second parents. When the child comes from home, the teacher takes over, and, as a professional, properly trained, the teacher also adds something. This is where the issue of learning and teaching and all these as per the curricula or the syllabus takes place.

The ceremony was held at Maria Mwengere Senior Secondary School, where Mutorwa served as a founding principal for seven months before entering his political journey in the year 1990.