Proposed Education Act to bring sweeping changes for Namibia

The proposed Education Act for Namibia, if enacted, will bring in sweeping changes among them innovation, diversity and providing reasonable access to public health.

An issue paper titled Towards a New Education Act for Namibia was compiled by the education ministry with the help of the European Union and the United Nations International Children's Educational Fund.

If adopted by parliament, this proposed Act will replace the current Education Act of 2001 as well as align Namibia's educational goals with Vision 2030 and the national developments plans.

According to the issue paper that was presented to a parliamentary standing committee Tuesday, the Education Act of 2001, has caused high repetition rates in Grades 1 to 8; yielded poor results at secondary level and poor access to vocational training colleges.

The issue paper also says the current Act is responsible for the general mismatch between supply and demand in respect of skilled labour.

Once enacted, the proposed Act will improve efficiency and effectiveness throughout the education sector and enhance the teaching and learning environments.

It is also expected to inspire meaningful participation of learners, parents, caregivers and the communities, while promoting teacher development.

One of the recommendations made is that pupils will be taught in the language of their choice as determined by the school boards across the country in order to develop a democratic culture of respect for the country's diverse languages.

"No learner at a public or private school that receives a government subsidy shall be punished for expressing himself or herself in a language that is not a language of learning at the school concerned," the issue papers says.

Another recommendation is that fees charged by the private schools will be subject to government regulation, while the state will also subsidize the fees as well as compel that no private school will deny access to children because of race, place of birth and religion.

The issue paper also suggests that early childhood education should be made compulsory and that no child must be denied access to primary school because they lack pre-primary exposure.

On religion in schools, the issue papers says that although the Namibian Constitution upholds freedom of religion, parents can ask the board so that their children can be taught a certain religion.

The proposed Act will incorporate health services to support the school communities in creating safe and secure environment for both teaching and learning.

"A safe and healthy school environment is a precondition not only for promoting and ensuring learners' safety and health but also for achieving the goals of education for all," the issue papers says.

Although adult education has posted successes, the issue paper recommends the establishment of a National Council on Adult Learning to spearhead this as a lifelong development.

The team that drafted this proposed bill say that the education ministry should study it and come up with consensus on what should be included and what should be left out. Enditem