1 Editorial

The editorial committee is pleased to welcome all the readers to this 20th volume of the Reform Forum for the year 2006. The National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) as a curriculum centre that is mandated to spearhead educational reform and renewal wishes to express its gratitude and indebtedness to all educators who have been contributing to the running of the Reform Forum, especially through the writing of articles. The Reform Forum remains indeed the mouthpiece of all educationalists in terms of addressing educational issues through debates, research and knowledge sharing. Hence, our appeal to all education stakeholders to continue writing articles to this Forum. More and more fascinating and challenging articles are being written and this range from research issues to best ways of how to improve the education sector in terms of classroom teaching and the operations of an efficient and effective education system. The first article, Educational activities which promote positive classroom learning expectations and norms, prepared by Dr. Andrew D. Mowes, describes factors that have direct impact on classroom learning. Among others, the author names teacher-learner interaction, (shared) expectations, attitudes and self-concept as those factors that promote or negate positive classroom learning. Above all, the author concludes the success of any education system depends largely on teachers ’ effectiveness. Teachers are the catalysts of the learning process and on them rest the whole education system. R. Munganda in his article gives an overview of the curriculum transformation and reform of the education system in Namibia with reference to the localisation of the African language curriculum. He gives challenges and constraints during this transformation and localisation process of the language process. He concludes with some suggestions that, appropriate, relevant and adequate materials should be developed for mother tongue education in the African Languages. For this purpose, new young authors should be trained to this challenging work. The article on the Localisation of IGCSE and HIGCSE curriculum in Namibia by W. January, informs the reader why Namibia embarked on the localisation process of it