Education: Whose Baby is it Really?

We often shoot from the hip and seldom pause long enough to ponder the vital question of who is actually responsible for educating children, more specifically, our own. Hence the pun-intended title of this discourse.

Admittedly, education is complex and multifaceted.

Apart from the various nuances in and between formal and informal education, the term invariably precipitates pertinent questions pertaining to who should be doing what, when and for how long.

In this country, formal basic education (which principally concerns functional literacy and numeracy) is compulsory for all children from the age of six.

However, with the sensible reintroduction of pre-primary education, the entrance age has theoretically dropped to five, though preschool attendance is lamentably not mandatory yet.

Nevertheless, should formal education really start only at the age of five? I think not.

In recent years, the concept of preschool readiness has gained international currency. Proponents fiercely advocate an earlier introduction to formal education than the current norm.

There is growing consensus among experts worldwide that the first three years of a child’s life is the most determinative stage for shaping his or her future.

Among others, a prime benefit of early pre-formal education is that it allows for timely detection and remediation of potential learning disorders.

This, in turn, builds a stronger foundation, which minimises apprehension, promotes academic achievement, reduces repetitions, improves pupil retention and ultimately produces well-rounded individuals.

An even more radical school of thought contends that education actually begins in the womb.

Recent research proves the existence of prenatal learning and offers several clues as to what babies comprehend in utero.

In light of this, we can ill afford not to capitalise on these pre- and post-natal windows of opportunity.

They present critical moments for charting a better educational trajectory for our offspring and giving them a fighting chance of a brighter future.

PROACTIVE APPROACH

Regrettably, recent surveys indicate that more than 70% of Namibian children from the age of zero to six years have no access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres.

Moreover, Unicef estimates that in 2019, less than 40% of eligible kindergartners enrolled for preschool.

Apart from historical causes, social inequalities have rendered pre-formal education (as pleaded for here) frustratingly out of reach for most Namibian households.

This situation is further aggravated by the growing orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) question.

The long-term impact of these distressful statistics is unfathomable and necessitates urgent strategic and systematic interventions by all involved.

At present, around 3% of the annual education budget is allocated to pre-primary education.

However, with Namibia’s overall spending on education already exceeding international targets, it is highly unlikely the preschool budget allocation will increase in the near future.

Higher levels of parental involvement therefore not only becomes imperative but also our last resort.

Nonetheless, given the notorious apathy towards education among a considerable proportion of the population, civil society will need to raise and sustain awareness about parental responsibilities as a matter of urgency.

Our collective long-term response will have to be proactive and preventative.

Meanwhile, let me issue a clarion call to every parent to settle his/her child’s future today. Whether planned or not, it is your baby.

* Brandon Hammond is an educational researcher and father of two adult children; you can reach him at ashleybhammond@gmail.com

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