EDITORIAL: Education beyond certificates
As schools reopen today, Namibia must pause to re-examine the role of education in our society. Too often, education is reduced to a transactional tool - a means to secure a qualification, obtain employment and earn an income that shields one from poverty and everyday socio-economic hardship. While this is important, it is far from the full purpose of education.
Education is also a powerful catalyst for exposure, critical thinking and mental emancipation. It shapes how individuals understand right and wrong, how they interpret social norms, and how they engage with the world around them. Without this broader function, society risks producing citizens who are technically qualified yet socially unaware.
Just last week, the gender ministry appealed to the public for assistance in locating a child seen drinking a traditional brew, otombo, in a viral video. The disturbing nature of the incident lay not only in the act itself, but in the fact that adults found it acceptable to hand alcohol to a child, film the moment and distribute it for public amusement.
Such behaviour reflects more than moral failure. Those responsible either failed to recognise that their actions constituted child abuse or were indifferent to the consequences. Both scenarios point to the same underlying problem: a deficiency in awareness, judgement and social responsibility - all of which education is meant to cultivate.
This incident is not isolated. Daily, Namibians encounter conduct that undermines human dignity, safety and respect - often rooted in ignorance rather than malice. Harmful traditional practices, casual misogyny, and reckless behaviour are frequently sustained by a lack of understanding, not by intent alone.
It is therefore essential that Namibia reclaims a broader vision of education. Education should shape character, refine judgment and elevate how people relate to one another.
Education is also a powerful catalyst for exposure, critical thinking and mental emancipation. It shapes how individuals understand right and wrong, how they interpret social norms, and how they engage with the world around them. Without this broader function, society risks producing citizens who are technically qualified yet socially unaware.
Just last week, the gender ministry appealed to the public for assistance in locating a child seen drinking a traditional brew, otombo, in a viral video. The disturbing nature of the incident lay not only in the act itself, but in the fact that adults found it acceptable to hand alcohol to a child, film the moment and distribute it for public amusement.
Such behaviour reflects more than moral failure. Those responsible either failed to recognise that their actions constituted child abuse or were indifferent to the consequences. Both scenarios point to the same underlying problem: a deficiency in awareness, judgement and social responsibility - all of which education is meant to cultivate.
This incident is not isolated. Daily, Namibians encounter conduct that undermines human dignity, safety and respect - often rooted in ignorance rather than malice. Harmful traditional practices, casual misogyny, and reckless behaviour are frequently sustained by a lack of understanding, not by intent alone.
It is therefore essential that Namibia reclaims a broader vision of education. Education should shape character, refine judgment and elevate how people relate to one another.
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Namibian Sun
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