Nanso launches campaign on access to education

There are many challenges in the provision of access to basic education which need to be addressed to ensure that every Namibian child has the opportunity to obtain an education.

This was said by Namibian National Student Organisation (Nanso) president Simon Taapopi on Thursday while speaking at the launch of a countrywide campaign on access to education, aimed at addressing challenges affecting access to education.

He said the campaign is also aimed at coming up with solutions that will address problems such as lack of textbooks and poor education infrastructure. Under this campaign, the student body will look at the quality of school infrastructure and the quality outcomes of education as some schools, Taapopi said, operate under trees and those learners are expected to excel like others at schools that are better equipped.

“How do you expect the child to pass? If they are all going to be tested using the same method, they must all be equipped with the same resources,” he said.

Taapopi further said for the past 10 years, the country's education system did not obtain a pass rate of over 70 per cent, yet millions of dollars are spent every year.

“This country spends a lot of money on education but is not reaping the benefits of those investments. We therefore have to do quality assurance and evaluate the investment we are making in education or we will be forced to come up with other solutions,” said the student leader.

Taapopi said during the campaign, the student body will engage the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture on the fair and equal distribution of education materials to all the regions and schools, as he said only some schools are adequately equipped to deliver quality education.

NAMPA