THE Namibian education system is facing many challenges. Deputy Minister of Education David Namwandi said yesterday that among these challenges are a lack of learning and teaching materials, lack of hostel facilities, lack of chairs, desks, beds and mattresses, classrooms, lack of libraries, laboratories and lack of qualified teachers.
Namwandi voiced this concern at a bursary handover by Sanlam Namibia Holdings. Sanlam yesterday awarded eight pupils with full bursaries to pursue further studies in marketing, accounting and finance, bachelor of arts and business administration.’With the upcoming budget, Government is committed to build 1 000 classrooms across the country. However, despite all these efforts by Government, educational needs are gross and require concerted effort and contribution of all stakeholders to make our quest for a better and developed Namibia,’ the deputy minister said. He further appealed to the various sectors of the economy such as mining, fishing, tourism, agriculture and transport to assist Government by investing in vocational training centres. ‘University education is not the only education that can contribute to the development of this country. Vocational training is just important thus let us get our youth off the streets and turn them into a productive workforce,’ he said. With only 19 years to go to Vision 2030, Namwandi said he is convinced that it is only with assistance from the private sector that Namibia will be able to fast-track the attainment of its national goals.’Education transforms nations, from developing to developed world. This is what we want to achieve with our Vision 2030,’ he said.In the current financial year, education received about 20 per cent of the national budget, which amounts to N$6.3 billion.
