Maria David
NO Namibian child must be denied an opportunity to access higher education because of a lack of funding.
This was according to youth forum chairperson Absalom Itamalo during the regional consultation meeting with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture held at Oshakati recently.
The United Nations Secretary-General will convene the Transforming Education Summit (TES) on 19 September 2022, during the 77th UN General Assembly.
The summit seeks to mobilize political ambition, solutions and solidarity to transform education to take stock to recover pandemic-related learning losses, reimagine systems for the world and revitalize national and global efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).
Hence, the regional consultations are aligned with the pre-summit objective to harness evolving discussions on transforming education, elaborate initial content for the summit, and generate momentum in the lead-up to September.
The processes provide an opportunity for the ministry to put education at the centre of the political debate.
Itamalo said the government must ensure sufficient funding for all qualifying learners, especially those from poor backgrounds.
He stated that all government-owned universities must be compelled to construct sufficient accommodation facilities equivalent to the number of students they have.
“This will help in creating a conducive learning environment for students who are already struggling to pay for ever-increasing rental prices,” he said.
Itamalo also suggested that all government-owned universities must be compelled to provide affordable transport modes to their students, to ensure students’ safety to and from their accommodation.
He said Local and Regional Authorities together with the line departments should ensure the construction of modern sports facilities.
“These facilities will provide a conducive environment for learners to explore their sporting talents and become professional sportsmen and women.”
