COVID-19 and e-learning

There has been a lot of confusion and uncertainty created in the education of our future leaders, that is the young generations that are currently stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year. As the Ministry of Education Arts and Culture explores various options to providing these learners with some form of teaching during this difficult time, it is clear that this situation has resulted in a dire need for change in the education system in the country. One of the proposed solutions is the adoption of e-learning, at least for the Secondary Phase learners, that is Grades 8-12. But are we, as a nation, ready for such a leap?

It seems that, throughout the world, where e-learning has been introduced in higher education, students may struggle with:

• lack of discipline to self-study regularly
• lack of face-to-face interaction with their lecturers and other students
• poor internet access, affecting students' participation in online learning
• access to technology that enables students to participate in online learning in the first place
• staying engaged with their learning material
• staying motivated to learn.

In a country like Namibia, where more than half of the learners come from disadvantaged backgrounds; where many schools do not have computer labs, reliable internet access or even electricity; where learners live in remote areas without network coverage, it will be unfair to expect teachers and learners to be able to adopt e-learning from the word "go".

Learners and teachers who are not used to using technology on a daily basis in their classroom or home environment will find it difficult to adjust to the new model of learning and teaching that the government would like to adopt. 

However, given sufficient training and time, e-learning has great potential to become part of the blended teaching solution, offering learners benefits such as:

• customised learning experience
• ability to learn at own pace, rereading content to grasp concepts taught or fast-forwarding through the material already learnt 
  
• learning critical thinking, problem-solving, research and analytical skills
• flexibility to adapt in the fast-changing world we live in. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for innovative solutions to teaching that once adopted will be here to stay. It is important that all stakeholders, including the educational publishers, engage in open communication with the Ministry of Education Arts and Culture about the challenges ahead of us and how to overcome them, and are on board with the choices made. 

Sufficient time for conversion of materials for digital delivery is crucial as is compliance with the copyright laws and regulations the digital delivery of materials entails. The transition to online learning should be gradual and planned well in order to make it accessible to all and thus allow all Namibian children to reach their full potential, regardless of where in the country they are.

We are open again!

Dear Valued Customer,

Namibia Publishing House and Macmillan Education Namibia are open again for business. We acknowledge the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic poses to education in the country and work hard to provide the necessary support to our educators.

You can visit us during our regular opening hours from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

To ensure safety of all our visitors, please take the following precautions when entering the building:

    1. Wear a mask.

    2. Allow staff to perform a temperature check using a no-touch thermometer:

• Temperature reading < 37.3 °C: You will be allowed into the building.
• Temperature reading > 37.3 °C: You will NOT be allowed into the building.

    3. When entering the building:

• Sanitise your hands immediately upon entering.
• Complete visitor’s register, stating your name and contact information.

     4. Adhere to social distancing rule of 1.5 metres when at the premises.

Thank you for your cooperation.

We look forward to welcoming you.

NPH and Macmillan Education Namibia Team

Our Operations during the COVID-19 Lockdown

In order to comply with the government lockdown due to COVID-19, Namibia Publishing House and Macmillan Education Namibia will remain temporarily closed for the public until the lockdown is over. 

However, our devoted team of publishers and marketers, still continue their operations working from home. We are available if you need our advice on e-learning and coping with the challenges the pandemic poses to homeschooling.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further support on:

+264 81 162 5310.

Let's work together to ensure that our learners do not miss out on their learning during this pandemic.

Happy 2020, Namibia!

Namibia Publishing House and Macmillan Education Namibia Team are pleased to confirm that we are back from the holiday break and open for business as usual.

We would also like to take this opportunity to wish all our partners in Education a productive and prosperous 2020!

As the new school year has just started, we are busy with deliveries of our approved materials to bookshops and Waltons' branches across the country. 

Our Marketing Team will soon be visiting schools, promoting our latest additions to the Government Catalogue, so keep an eye out for them!

NSSCO Gap Submissions 2019 - a total success for NPH!

We are extremely pleased to announce that our list of approved materials for Grades 10 and 11 NSSCO level now includes the following titles in Oshikwanyama, Oshindonga, Otjiherero and Office Practice:

• Solid Foundations Nongonona Elaka Ondodo 10 fiyo 11 Embo lOmuhongwa loNSSCO
• Solid Foundations Nongonona Elaka Ondodo 10 fiyo 11 Ewilikimbo lOmuhongi loNSSCO
  (Both written by Vilima Ngonyofi Haukongo and Julius Kuhatumwa)

• Solid Foundations Pyokola Elaka Ondodo 10 sigo 11 Embo lyOmulongwa lyoNSSCO
• Solid Foundations Pyokola Elaka Ondodo 10 sigo 11 Ewilikimbo lyOmulongi lyoNSSCO
  (Both written by Rachel Nandjembo, Rakel Ndeshimona and Emilia Nyau)

• Solid Foundations Omukambo mOtjiherero NSSC Embo rOmuhongwa 
• Solid Foundations Omukambo mOtjiherero NSSC Embo Evatere rOmitiri 
  (Both written by Nathaniel Kaunomuinjo Mbaeva, covering syllabus for Grades 10-12)

• Office Practice Keyboard Layout

Look for them at our book store, local book shops and Waltons' branches across the country!

Coding Week 2019: Augmented Reality and Books

Mr Detlef Pfeifer, Goethe-Institut Namibia, explaining
Augmented Reality Concept

The Goethe-Institut Namibia, in collaboration with Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), University of Namibia (UNAM) and University of Applied Sciences known as Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (HTW) in Berlin, hosted a project on coding at the beginning of May this year to create Smartphone Augmented Reality (AR) Apps that will bring five Namibian books to life.

Namibian Magic by Corrin-Del Klopper

One of the books selected for this project was a publication of Namibia Publishing House Namibian Magic by Corrin-Del Klopper. Students from the above-mentioned institutions worked very hard to create augmented realities for a Smartphones App that can be used to enhance the reading culture and experience of books written for Namibian children.

A team students working on Namibian Magic

Augmented Reality is created through images and animations that are regarded as extensions of the book. Using Augmented Reality is as simple as downloading the app from the App Store for Apple users or Google Play Store for Androids. The user has to start the app by scanning through pages of the book to activate the interactive and digital content on the Smartphone. The app is developed in four languages namely: Oshiwambo, English, Khoekhoegowab and German, therefore the user can activate the language that they are more comfortable to use. As the Head of Library and Information at Goethe-Institut Namibia, Mr Detlef Pfeifer, said, the project does not only promote a reading culture and preserve the use of books among the Namibian children, it also gives young coders the opportunity to gain experience. He further explained, “This coding week will challenge our students, not just in terms of time, but creating the ideal interface for a user to effectively engage with the digital content and experience the Augmented Reality App with pleasure.”

Five groups consisting of 24 Information and Communication Technology students from NUST (12), HTW Berlin (6), and 12 language students from UNAM competed from 29 April to 03 May 2019 to produce augmented reality books in Namibia. The best three Apps for the project will be presented by one of the members from each group at the International Conference on Culture and Computer Science in Berlin. 

The young coders from NUST, UNAM and HTW Berlin participating in the project

NPH is proud to be part of this innovative project as applying the concept of augmented reality to books, in particular children’s books, makes reading more interactive and relevant to the minds of the children and will encourage them to read more.

NPH donates books to Omahongero mEpukiro Initiative!

On 28 March 2019, Ministry of Education Arts and Culture received a donation of close to 5 000 school books worth more than N$700 000. The handover ceremony of the donation made by Omahongero mEpukiro Initiative took place at the National Library of Namibia in Windhoek.

Omahongero mEpukiro Initiative, which means “Education in Epukiro” in Otjiherero, is a book donation campaign that aims to promote the pass rate and the reading culture among future professionals in Epukiro Constituency. Four schools in Omaheke region are to benefit from the donation.

The Deputy Executive Director: Life Long Learning, Arts and Culture at MoEAC, Ms Veno Kauaria, highlighted the importance of reading books to children during her keynote address. It is scientifically proven that reading books from an early age equip children with vocabulary to communicate at high levels and excel at problem-solving. It also improves and builds children’s self-esteem as well as social awareness. Books in general open the imagination and ignite creativity among the children.

Books donated by the Omahongero mEpukiro Initiative

The Initiative was made possible with the generous assistance and donations from Namibia Publishing House and Macmillan Education Namibia, Waldorf School Windhoek, Catherine Bullen Foundation, Komeho Namibia Development Agency, Mech Repair Center and many other individuals. The donation is aimed to support teaching and learning as well as cultivating the love of reading among our learners. Ms. Veno hoped that other institutions and communities will take the good example set by the Omahongero mEpukiro Initiative. She urged people to give back to their community so that they can meet the Government half way for the future of the Namibian children.

Second from the left: Deputy Executive Director: Life Long
Learning, Arts & Culture, MoEAC Veno Kauaria,Chairperson
of the Omahongero mEpukiro Initiative Dr Hangara Ngungaa,
Omaheke Regional Director of Education Pecka Semba

Furthermore, the donation will immensely contribute towards the development of life learning at the schools and consequently support the national curriculum for basic education. In her closing remarks, Ms. Veno, on behalf of the MoEAC, expressed her sincere gratitude to the Initiative for playing an important role in the life of the Namibian child and to the sponsors, specifically Namibia Publishing House and Macmillan Education Namibia, for our generous contribution to the Initiative. “When you give a child a book, you are contributing to the knowledge of that child, and whatever that child consumed from that book, it will never be taken away!” Ms. Veno emphasised. We at Namibia Publishing House and Macmillan Education Namibia are committed to supporting the Government in promoting the reading culture in the country and shaping the future of all Namibian children.

Omahongero mEpukiro Initiative Committee receiving donation of books from Namibia Publishing House and
 Macmillan Education Namibia