Literacy Programmes Can’t Substitute School

I AM very happy with the Adult Literacy Programme the Ministry of Education has introduced.

I can gladly say that my mother was one of the many people that benefited from the programme, when it started after Independence. This programme was created for the many Namibians that were deprived by one way or the other to be educated before Independence.But my main concern is whether this programme was created to stay for many years to come? If so then I have a great concern.First I want to know what the Government is doing about children on the streets that have to be in schools, and I am not only referring to street children, but to children whose parents just don’t care if their children go to school.To me personally it is sad and disappointing, because I grew up in a home where I never missed a day of school not even kindergarten, and that my parents made sure of.Today that is the same tactic I enforce on my son.Simply because education and God are the most important things in life, and that is a fact.We have social workers that can go out, find a child on the street and ask them why they are not in school? Then take it up with the parents, in most cases they will see that the parents just don’t care, which is very unfair to the child because it deprives them of a future.But then the parents will say they have the Adult Literacy Programme that is free or cheap that the children can do when they are adults, so let’s not waste our money on education now, which really is the wrong perception that many have of the programme.Parents still don’t understand how vital a child’s education is from a very early stage in a child’s life.My main concern is why parents are not informed about what they can do if they don’t have money to enter their children into schools or where they can get help.Then look at the parents who sit at home with their kids to fetch their jar of tombo every day? This is more serious than we may think, but that is the real truth.Children are made to sell kapana on the streets because the parents have more important things to spend their money on rather than education.I would not want to see any child born after Independence, to in the next 30 to 50 years having to join the Adult Literacy Programme, because it is simply our duty to look after the children of the future, and make sure that they are not deprived of the education they are entitled to.Let’s use the programme in the future to create scientists, lawyers, accountants and many more.Afra Kavandje, Via e-mailThis programme was created for the many Namibians that were deprived by one way or the other to be educated before Independence.But my main concern is whether this programme was created to stay for many years to come? If so then I have a great concern.First I want to know what the Government is doing about children on the streets that have to be in schools, and I am not only referring to street children, but to children whose parents just don’t care if their children go to school.To me personally it is sad and disappointing, because I grew up in a home where I never missed a day of school not even kindergarten, and that my parents made sure of.Today that is the same tactic I enforce on my son.Simply because education and God are the most important things in life, and that is a fact.We have social workers that can go out, find a child on the street and ask them why they are not in school? Then take it up with the parents, in most cases they will see that the parents just don’t care, which is very unfair to the child because it deprives them of a future.But then the parents will say they have the Adult Literacy Programme that is free or cheap that the children can do when they are adults, so let’s not waste our money on education now, which really is the wrong perception that many have of the programme.Parents still don’t understand how vital a child’s education is from a very early stage in a child’s life.My main concern is why parents are not informed about what they can do if they don’t have money to enter their children into schools or where they can get help.Then look at the parents who sit at home with their kids to fetch their jar of tombo every day? This is more serious than we may think, but that is the real truth.Children are made to sell kapana on the streets because the parents have more important things to spend their money on rather than education.I would not want to see any child born after Independence, to in the next 30 to 50 years having to join the Adult Literacy Programme, because it is simply our duty to look after the children of the future, and make sure that they are not deprived of the education they are entitled to.Let’s use the programme in the future to create scientists, lawyers, accountants and many more.Afra Kavandje, Via e-mail