There is no denying the fact that 2020 was a challenging year for us all. The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the way we go about our daily lives, conduct business and plan social gatherings. We are still getting used to the "new normal" and it is going to take time, but we need to acknowledge the efforts we have made to curb this pandemic and be thankful for good leadership in these trying times.

This year was particularly difficult for the education system in our country. With all the schools being shut down for close to 6 months, it is the parents who felt the most pressure by having to keep their children positively occupied at home. This, combined with the challenges of working from home and the shortage of school textbooks to study from, was not an easy feat to achieve. We salute all parents, who despite their lack of any teaching background, tried their best to provide their children with some form of a daily learning routine.  

At the same time, Namibia Publishing House together with Macmillan Education Namibia would like to thank all teachers who worked hard to ensure learners do not lose this time, but with dedication prepared weekly lessons and worksheets for their learners to continue studying at home.

The COVID-19 learning and studying situation has highlighted the dire need for more textbooks in our schools to enable learners to use their time at home productively. We at Namibia Publishing House would like to thank the parents, family members, and anyone else who showed their support by purchasing a textbook for a child in need during this year.

At the same time, the challenges experienced have opened the door for e-learning to become the long-term solution education needs in times like these. We believe that the future of the publishing industry in the country lies in digital publishing. However, we understand that, currently, only a handful of our schools have the resources to facilitate e-learning. Macmillan Education Namibia together with Namibia Publishing House is working hard to be able to cater to the emerging e-learning market and provide our textbooks in print as well as in the digital format as the needs of our schools change over time.

On this note, we would like to wish all Namibian educators, parents, and learners a peaceful and healthy festive season, enjoyed responsibly, so that we may all return to our roles in the New Year refreshed and ready to tackle any challenges it may bring.

We also wish that Year 2021 will bring with it a much-needed economic recovery, good governance, and entrepreneurial efforts to help our country overcome the setbacks of COVID-19 to become stronger, more developed, and self-sufficient.