The ministry is guilty indeed
Outrageous and emotionally violent to the learners, parents and guardians, was the abrupt closure of schools by the ministry of education last past week. It is a decision that leaves many wondering about the rationale behind the hasty closure of the schools and what priority it serves as it should be more valuable than the lives and safety of the learners - especially the primary school learners in boarding schools. For a ministry that champions reason and logic to prevail among learners, it is ironic that the decision to close schools at such short notice comes from the same institution headed by reputable intellectuals. Whatever purpose that decision was meant to serve, cannot be equalled or exceed the safety of the children throughout the country that were left destitute and vulnerable as they travelled back home without their parents or guardians. The national broadcaster NBC's Saturday evening news coverage, showed young unaccompanied children struggling to board the train in Keetmanshoop and others sitting by the roadside, clips that can tug at the hearts of good people - people with a conscience and genuine parental love. Where thou art government's compliance to Unicef's engrained children's rights and other rights that this country is signatory to and has vowed to honour and obey? The Namibian Constitution's Article 15 reads in part: “Children are entitled to be protected from economic exploitation… or to interfere with their education, or to be harmful to their health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development.” The ministry has violated this fundamental children's right that we have authored and adopted to protect our children. For a ministry that is headed by mothers, and we are certain President Hage Geingob made these appointments believing this children-centred ministry could be best managed by women – the decision is disappointing, to say the least. If the gender and child welfare ministry prosecutes parents and guardians for neglecting children in accordance with the infringement of the rights of our children, why can't the same gun be pointed at the ministry of education for making such an apathetic decision?
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Namibian Sun
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