Appalled By Ignorance On Bursary Issue

THIS short letter is in response to Ms Alina who, in last Friday’s edition of The Namibian, expressed her views in defence of the children of top government officials receiving bursaries from China. I am appalled by the level of ignorance you have on this matter.

In Namibia, we are blessed with countless intellectually gifted scholars, plenty of these children coming from underprivileged backgrounds. These children too obtain good grades and hope to get ahead in life. Why were bursaries not granted to these children? Surely, there are numerous children who can match the ever ‘committed’ and ‘hardworking’ children of government officials. Like the Ministers/President’s children, these are the best in the Namibia. Why deprive them of a good education by rather suggesting that the financial aid goes to the children of the privileged? Surely this is an act of favouritism.My next point, you question whether Ministers or the President are capable of affording his or her child’s tuition ‘abroad or wherever’? Is this a serious question? I am pretty certain that a top official in this country is financially fit to pay for his or her child’s tertiary education. The very same money, coming from you and me in the form of taxes. Doesn’t it bother you that the majority or most of the scholars who obtained the scholarships are children of the Ministers with parents capable of paying for them?In conclusion, I suggest that whenever such an opportunity comes our way (if it ever does) that the grades of students across the country should be checked to see if they are good enough to receive the bursaries. Let’s be fair by offering bursaries to everyone who has worked hard to deserve them, and not just a certain circle of children.Toivo Mwetuhanga ThomasVia e-mail