Education Bill 'draconian'
The Popular Democratic Movement has described the Education Bill that has been tabled in parliament as autocratic, undemocratic and draconian.
In its contribution to the bill, the PDM called for it to be to be referred to a parliamentary committee to listen to the concerns of civil society and other experts so that it can be amended to be more in line with what most Namibians want for their children.
PDM parliamentarian Nico Smit said the bill has drawn strong and valid criticism from various sections of civil society.
“This is very encouraging, as education is in fact an issue for civil society as civil society is not some alien organisation but legitimate representatives of those people that we have all been elected to serve while the government's only task is to regulate education in such a way that it can take place smoothly and effectively. In fact, I have not seen any positive feedback on this bill thus far.”
According to Smit parents and their representatives should have the maximum input in how they want this education to happen.
He said this seems to have been entirely usurped by the education ministry.
“One can only suspect that this is for a political motive of directing education to ensure that loyalty to the ruling party is maintained by manipulating and indoctrinating our impressionable young people and teachers as well.”
Smit said the bill intrudes on areas in education that do not need fixing.
“I cannot help but suspect that it has been written the way it has to tighten the ruling party's grip on the teaching sector as well as the civil sector that has children in our schools. This exclusion of the inputs received during consultations with stakeholders means that the ministry wants to impose a predetermined outcome on the public and that outcome can only be to ensure that teachers are forced to teach what the government wants them to teach to ensure that learners are moulded into loyal and undiscerning voters by the time they reach the age of 18.”
He said an education bill should not concentrate on disciplinary measures while paying scant attention to burning issues such as effective teacher training and measures to bring real improvement to the quality of education children are receiving.
Smit said the bill insults teachers throughout the country by creating the impression that they are not to be trusted with any of the issues for which they have been appointed.
“They are to be advised by school boards on how to run their schools, where these school boards are to be made up of, amongst others, learners as young as grade seven and people who are not in any way concerned with educational matters. They need not even have children in school to tell the principal what he or she may or may not do.”
According to Smit teachers and principals are being threatened with draconian punishments for trying to maintain a semblance of administrative discipline in their schools by withholding report cards for any reason whatsoever.
Smit added that the government shamelessly fails to provide the required N$5 000 per child that is required to effectively provide the so-called free education it promised people in order to buy their votes.
At present schools are left in debt as they try to provide for all their pupils' needs on the meagre N$250 per child actually provided by this government, he charged.
According to Smit the bill does not address any protection of the rights of teachers.
“According to education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa the bill has put the learners at its centre but surely this is just another ploy to create sympathy for the draconian and undemocratic contents it contains.”
He said the rights of pupils, teachers and parents are equally important and deserve equal protection in any education bill.
ELLANIE SMIT
In its contribution to the bill, the PDM called for it to be to be referred to a parliamentary committee to listen to the concerns of civil society and other experts so that it can be amended to be more in line with what most Namibians want for their children.
PDM parliamentarian Nico Smit said the bill has drawn strong and valid criticism from various sections of civil society.
“This is very encouraging, as education is in fact an issue for civil society as civil society is not some alien organisation but legitimate representatives of those people that we have all been elected to serve while the government's only task is to regulate education in such a way that it can take place smoothly and effectively. In fact, I have not seen any positive feedback on this bill thus far.”
According to Smit parents and their representatives should have the maximum input in how they want this education to happen.
He said this seems to have been entirely usurped by the education ministry.
“One can only suspect that this is for a political motive of directing education to ensure that loyalty to the ruling party is maintained by manipulating and indoctrinating our impressionable young people and teachers as well.”
Smit said the bill intrudes on areas in education that do not need fixing.
“I cannot help but suspect that it has been written the way it has to tighten the ruling party's grip on the teaching sector as well as the civil sector that has children in our schools. This exclusion of the inputs received during consultations with stakeholders means that the ministry wants to impose a predetermined outcome on the public and that outcome can only be to ensure that teachers are forced to teach what the government wants them to teach to ensure that learners are moulded into loyal and undiscerning voters by the time they reach the age of 18.”
He said an education bill should not concentrate on disciplinary measures while paying scant attention to burning issues such as effective teacher training and measures to bring real improvement to the quality of education children are receiving.
Smit said the bill insults teachers throughout the country by creating the impression that they are not to be trusted with any of the issues for which they have been appointed.
“They are to be advised by school boards on how to run their schools, where these school boards are to be made up of, amongst others, learners as young as grade seven and people who are not in any way concerned with educational matters. They need not even have children in school to tell the principal what he or she may or may not do.”
According to Smit teachers and principals are being threatened with draconian punishments for trying to maintain a semblance of administrative discipline in their schools by withholding report cards for any reason whatsoever.
Smit added that the government shamelessly fails to provide the required N$5 000 per child that is required to effectively provide the so-called free education it promised people in order to buy their votes.
At present schools are left in debt as they try to provide for all their pupils' needs on the meagre N$250 per child actually provided by this government, he charged.
According to Smit the bill does not address any protection of the rights of teachers.
“According to education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa the bill has put the learners at its centre but surely this is just another ploy to create sympathy for the draconian and undemocratic contents it contains.”
He said the rights of pupils, teachers and parents are equally important and deserve equal protection in any education bill.
ELLANIE SMIT
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