When the headmaster of Tshivhase High School in Vhufuli became passionate about improving the quality of education at his school and at other local schools more than 10 years ago, little did he know that one day he would represent his country at an International Educational Administration Seminar abroad.

As part of the working relationship between the Japanese Government, through its agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the South African National Department of Education, Mr Nkhangweni Lennox Nemukula is representing the country a five-week-long local education administration seminar designed for sub-Saharan countries in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

The seminar, which is aimed at providing an opportunity for school administrators from the sub-Saharan region to learn more on th class and school management, thereby improving the quality of education in their respective countries, started on Tuesday. The national department's deputy Chief Education Specialist: International Relations, Mr Carlton Lufuno Mukwevho, said the annual seminar supports self-help efforts that will promote the advancement of developing countries and the promotion of mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Japan and those living in the sub-Saharan region. Mukwevho said that each year, 10 administrators from different countries in the sub-Saharan region participate in the educational leadership seminar. Mukwevho described Nemukula as a hardworking school principal who always strives to go an extra mile in promoting the standard of education without expecting any reward in return. “His school has been producing consistent good grade 12 results, so we deemed it fit for Nemukula to travel to Japan for the management seminar because we know that empowering people like him will fastrack improving the quality of our education. We expect him to disseminate what he is exploring in Japan when he returns,” he said.

Nemukula, who took the first position at the annual departmental teacher of the year competition at the circuit, district, provincial and the national level, said that he is winning in education because of his love for his job, working as a team, his passion and understanding of his teachers and learners’ challenges. “I am always receiving invitations from local schools so that I can share with them our secrets of improvement at my school. We don't invite parents to meetings when we have problems with their children, but we call them so that we can talk about on how we can develop our school, what we expect from them as parents as well as from their children,” he claimed.