Time to Decolonise Our Classrooms

Now that we have celebrated our independence, it is time we rethink the use of Afrikaans in our schools. Namibia’s independence in 1990 marked the end of direct political control by the then minority white apartheid South Africa. Nevertheless, the legacy of colonialism continues to shape many aspects of our society.

One of the most notable and contested of these legacies is language, particularly the continued presence of Afrikaans in Namibian schools. While history should not be erased, it is worth asking whether keeping Afrikaans in our education system truly serves an independent Namibia well.

Afrikaans was imposed on us as a dominant language during apartheid rule. During that sad period, indigenous languages were sidelined, and Afrikaans became a symbol of authority and exclusion.

One must question why the majority of Namibian schools do not teach the country’s dominant indigenous languages. According to the 2023 census report, the Aawambo are the largest ethnic group in the country and the Khomas region, accounting for 50.6% and 35% of the population, respectively.

Surprisingly, Oshikwanyama or Oshindonga is taught in very few schools in the capital city, despite having a sizeable majority of speakers. In some private schools, Afrikaans is even a compulsory second language while no indigenous language is taught at all.

Today, Namibia is a sovereign nation with English as its official language. Yet Afrikaans continues to occupy significant space, often receiving more institutional support than major indigenous languages.

Continuing to prioritise Afrikaans may send the message that colonial languages still hold more legitimacy than our own. This demonstrates a pervasive linguistic inequality that extends to the business world, where many companies still use Afrikaans as a de facto official language, further marginalising indigenous speakers.

This is not an argument against Namibians who speak Afrikaans at home, nor against the value of multilingualism. Instead, it is an appeal for Namibia’s inclusive priorities to be reflected in schools. To ensure education fosters cultural pride and decolonisation in practice, more funding should be allocated to indigenous languages alongside English.

It would be both symbolic and practical to gradually reduce the prominence of Afrikaans in our schools.

In a free Namibia, Afrikaans should ultimately be treated alongside indigenous languages and not automatically be granted the status of a second language. – Elia Haindongo

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