HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING AND STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

We believe – in no uncertain terms – that higher education is both a private and a public good, and that money spent on tertiary education and vocational training is not merely an expenditure, but an investment into the future; of society and, most importantly, of young people. When the Government of Namibia established the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) in 1997, it recognised and re-affirmed the importance of higher education in nation-building and sustainable development.

However, at a national student debt of over 3 billion Namibia Dollars, and with pressure exerted by global economic challenges, scathing inequality and a high number of students and trainees who are unable to fund their own studies and training, Namibia’s current higher education funding model is neither fiscally (for Government) nor financially (for universities and students from middle- to low-income households) sustainable, and, thus, poses future risk of exclusion.

We believe that it is time for a resilient and sustainable higher education funding model that guarantees access and affordability, fosters inclusion and nation building and limits the personal debt of beneficiaries (many of whom are from middle- to low-income households).

In collaboration and partnership with our stakeholders – civil society partners, academia and the Government of Namibia – we are championing a study on the viability of a Higher Education Levy which would bolster the country’s fiscal ability to sustainability and affordably fund higher education in Namibia.

Some of our programmes – such as the #AccessToEducation Campaign – also support the country’s efforts in ensuring that every child who seeks an education has access to it by, for instance, providing free transportation to and from campuses and providing free-of-charge printing services.

Have some ideas on how we can #CloseTheGap and address the structural challenges that our higher education funding model presently faces?

Drop us a note here!

QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION

It is generally accepted that quality education accelerates socioeconomic development, and is a fundamental human right that is guaranteed to all children.

However, this universal right to quality education can only be fulfilled if all children's educational needs are holistically met, and if the schooling system is backed by an adaptive, conducive and adequate policy and legislative framework. This includes, but is not limited to, sufficient provision of learning material, best-practice learner-to-teacher ratio, safe schooling and boarding environments and responsive curricula.

Likewise, for education to truly accelerate socioeconomic development, educational outcomes and outputs must be aligned with global (and local) trends. In the greater scheme of things, this means ensuring that all children – but especially those from low- to middle-income households) have access to world-class education, and that their education is complemented by extra-curricular activities that open up possibilities and allow them to imagine.

We believe that society in general, and the state in particular, has a duty to protect and promote this right to quality education in its entirety, and to bolster the potential for basic education to catalyse much-needed socioeconomic development.

Through our branch and regional structures, we respond to school-based crises as and when they occur, and at national level, we provide high-level influence to stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, and other such agencies with a vested interest in the provision and development of education in Namibia.

Think you have some ideas that might help us? Let us know here!

SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS (SRHR) AND MENSTRUAL POVERTY

Ensuring that every girl and boy has access to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), and that menstrual poverty is decisively and effectively addressed are key requirements to creating an environment in which all children thrive; safely and equally.

Some estimates put it that one in ten girls in Africa miss school every month, because they don’t have access to (adequate) sanitary products, or because there aren’t safe, hygienic and private toilets to use at schools. Others are forced to use unsafe alternatives such as mattresses, clothes and newspapers every month to manage their periods.

Similarly, horrifying reports show that between 2010 and 2022, 160,800 teenage pregnancies were recorded in Namibia. During the last three of those years, pregnancy-related school dropouts have risen, peaking in 2021 at nearly 4,000 learners. All the while, reports from the Ministry of Health and Social Services show that only 24 percent of teens aged 15 to 19 use contraceptives, while 19 percent of girls in that age group had already experienced their first pregnancy.

From this context, it is clear that more needs to be done to champion comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) curricula that are responsive, accurate, appropriate and understandable in Namibian schools, while promoting increased access to dignified menstrual care among young people in the country.

Together with our partners and stakeholders, we are working to (a) reduce unintended and teenage pregnancies, (b) mitigate period poverty and (c) promote responsible sexual behaviour.

Have some ideas on how we can #CloseTheGaps? Share them with us here!

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE (SGBV) AND MENTAL HEALTH

We cannot leave the elimination of SGBV to chance-- we must protect children from all its forms, including sexualised bullying, and verbal and physical sexual harassment, in schools and otherwise.

Movements and protests in the past four years in Namibia – #METOONamibia, The Slut Shame Walk, #ShutItAllDown and others – have reiterated the country’s sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) crisis. A recently-published publication by Disrupting Harm in Namibia offers a new context to the problem: online child sexual exploitation and abuse, which, according to the report, has affected an estimated 20,000 children between the ages of 12 and 17 in the country.

We can no longer sit in silence; this is a crisis that must be addressed urgently and decisively.

And because we know the relationship between mental health and SGBV, we know that we must equally address the provision of and access to mental health services in Namibia, especially in schools.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Social Services show that between January 2021 and May 2022, there were 679 instances of suicide, of which 29 were children. Between 2018 and 2019, the suicide rate in the country at 458, of which 18 were children. These increases in suicides are indicators of increasing levels of depression and other mental illnesses, visible in schools and elsewhere; caused by increasing violence and trauma-inducing incidences, the COVID-19 global pandemic, and others factors. And they need to be addressed urgently.

Fortunately, experts believe that schools -- at all levels -- are important and proven sites for normative change, and have the potential to address harmful beliefs and practices, and reduce stigmas, including those which pertain to mental health services and mental wellbeing.

We believe them, and we’re working with our stakeholders to ensure that school environments are free of harmful beliefs and practices, and that mental health services are made accessible in schools and elsewhere.

Want to get involved in our work? Get in touch here!

DIGITAL INCLUSIVITY AND ICT INFRASTRUCTURE IN SCHOOLS

It's no secret: technology lies at the nexus of increased opportunity and continuous innovation. And for students, trainees and learners, it can promote their ability to learn, work, research, collaborate, and independently develop knowledge.

However, it is also no secret that unequal access to technology -- either due to lack of hardware such as mobile phones, lack of access to connectivity and internet or inadequate digital literacy -- can exacerbate existing inequalities.

At the end of 2021, the Namibia Internet Governance Forum reported that about half of the Namibian population does not have access to the internet. Six months later, reports estimated that more than 70 percent of the country’s public primary and secondary schools did not have basic technological infrastructure. During the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic, of the 804,000 learners enrolled in public schools at the time, only an estimated 13,000 had access to the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture’s e-learning platform.

These challenges indicate the massive transformation that is required on a national scale to unlock the power of the country’s digital future, and to maximise the potential for technology to enhance the quality of learning and work in Namibia. Most importantly, they provide an opportunity to accelerate collaboration between the public and private sectors, and to significantly #CloseTheGap in the context of today’s ever-changing digital world.

We believe that digital inclusion must be a right, not a privilege, and we are working to reduce the digital divide, while advocating for continuous ICT infrastructure development in schools.

Want to help us make sure that the there is #Internet4All? Drop us a message here!