Driven by a spirit of excellence

Despite disappointment from the minister of education Anna Nghipondoka and the nation at large about only 5 812 candidates scoring 25 points and above from 38 019 full-time candidates who sat for the National Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) examination, there's still hope.

Platonic Academy, a tutoring institution, started with only 27 learners in 2019, and has now grown to over 100 learners. The founders said it has not only grown in capacity, but results as well.

Platonic Academy was founded in 2019 by Frank Mungunda and his wife Amanda. The academy received over 450 applications but could only accommodate 120 learners last year, but with recent renovations, they can now accommodate about 360 learners.

“Despite the overall poor performance of learners across the country, we are now focusing on the positive side of how we can inspire, empower and transform young minds of Namibia,” Mungunda said.

In a recent panel discussion, he was joined by four of the six Khomas Region learners who placed in the grade 12 Advance Subsidiary (AS) level top 20 achievers at national level, who all received tutoring from the academy.



• Max Feilmeier from Delta Secondary School Windhoek placed in first position

• Taro Samuelson from Windhoek Gymnasium Private School placed third

• Di Christa Mahoro from Delta Secondary School Windhoek placed sixth

• Rhosta Lyatumba from Jan Möhr Secondary School placed 11th.



All four were also part of the top 20 achievers in 2021 at grade 11 NSSCO level.

In an attempt to instil hope amongst prospective learners, the four learners gathered to inspire the Namibian nation amidst the low-spirited view of the latest exam results released a few weeks ago.

Mungunda emphasised the importance of establishing the key to teachers assisting learners to obtain reputable results.

“I discovered this when I was teaching at Waldorf, as they have a complete different structure in their teaching system. I realised that the key is being the person who brings body, mind and soul [together] for the learners and not just seeing them as a vessel you stuff with information,” he said.

Teaching mechanisms play a crucial role in learners' performance, he added.

The top achievers encouraged learners to continue working hard towards their goals.



Mahoro said her drive to succeed comes from pleasing God and, most importantly, enjoying what you do and applying what you have learnt. Meanwhile, Lyatumba emphasised parental involvement, and explained that the mental and emotional investment parents make contributes and counts as much - if not more - than their financial investment.

“There were many times when I was at home and felt really discouraged and some part of me wanted to give up, but my parents were always there to remind me that you didn’t come this far to give up,” she said.

Feilmeier pointed out the importance of study mechanisms. “I actually started using colour for chemistry and I never thought of using colour, however, it helped a lot with understanding.”

Samuelson’s motto for the year was to "seize to sacrifice", which emphasised that he relentlessly sacrificed his sleep and time in order to achieve his desired goals.

The undesirable results should not define the Namibian education system, the achievers said.



For more information on Platonic Academy, check out their website or visit their premises at 5 Rieckmann Street, Pionierspark, Windhoek.