It has been widely cited that “education is the greatest equaliser”. This sentiment captures the power of education to dignify individuals and institutions alike. It implores us to harness the transformative role of education to infuse hope and optimism.
Namibia’s recent suboptimal education statistics have been widely discussed. As announced by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, out of 38,019 full-time candidates who sat for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSCO) grade 11 examinations, only 5,812 scored 25 points and above to qualify for entry to tertiary institutions.
Even though the country’s literacy rate compares relatively favourably to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa with an 89.8% adult literacy rate, we are flirting with catastrophe.
The dismal state of our education system is disconnected from our commonly stated goals of access, equity, quality and democracy. The reasons for the aforementioned catastrophe have been widely theorised. Some analysts posit the lack of physical infrastructure.
Even though the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has stated the need for an additional 2,837 classrooms, public office bearers like Kavango East Regional Governor have encouraged young Namibians to “just take studies seriously regardless of the environment”.
Needless to say, this sentiment is a slap in the face of the Namibian child who deserves better. It is reflective of the very sentiment that has brought our education system to its knees and undermined the blood that has watered our freedom until this point. Of the biggest responsibilities that a country has to shoulder, providing sustainable, quality education must take priority.
Nationwide education informs our ability to develop continuously and take our rightful place among the greats of the world.
Dragging our feet on education policy is, therefore, akin to tampering with our national capacity to innovate, create and position ourselves for global relevance.
It undermines the longevity of our institutions and robs us of the equalising and dignifying function of education. While the current inadequacies in our education system are attributable to a wide range of factors in the present, the implications of the colonial legacy should not be understated. It is generally expressed that African countries should “get over it” and move past colonialism.
As much as we would all love to bury the hatchet, the truth of the matter is that the residue of the colonial system will reverberate beyond the walls of this lifetime. Under colonial rule, underinvestment in the education of the “Bantu” was a central feature of apartheid-era education policies.
This underinvestment had long-lasting effects, as schools in non-white communities lacked basic resources such as books, equipment, and qualified teachers. It was structural, in that it was the result of deliberate policy decisions undertaken by the colonial administration.
Under the Bantu Education Act, black Namibians received an education that was designed to prepare them for jobs as manual labourers, with a heavily censored and restricted curriculum.
The structural implications of the Act, which remained in place until Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990, persist until date. Deliberate, intentional investment in our education system is our best hope at preparing Namibia for a place among the stars.
As the daughter of a former teacher, an unwavering belief in a quality education is the core of my value system. A country’s education system is the backbone of its democracy.
It informs the durability and sustainability of our systems. Namibian education policymakers must rise to the occasion and deliver on the noble mandate of producing great minds who will proceed to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.
*Bertha Tobias is a final-year International Relations (Hons) student and youth leader. Find out more on www.berthatobias.com and connect on bertha@berthatobias.com!
