WINDHOEK– Over 500 000 Namibian men and women have benefited from the literacy programme under the Ministry of Education’s Lifelong Learning Division over the past 21 years.
According to the 2011 Population and Housing Census, the literacy rate in Namibia stands at 89 percent with male literacy at 89 percent and female literacy at 88,5 percent.
Illiteracy is one of the major problems faced by the developing world, especially Africa and South-East Asia and has been identified as the major cause of socio-economic and ethnic conflicts that frequently surface in the region.
Officiating during the launch of Adult Learners’ Week (ALW) and International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrated from September 1- 8, Dr David Namwandi, the Minister of Education said Namibia should continue investing in its main assets – its people – by investing massively in education. He said not investing properly in education now would mean making a “blunder of our life”.
“Literacy is a liberator and an empowering force. It liberates us from all social ills, such as poverty, hunger, ignorance and debilitating diseases,” the minister stressed.
Namwandi announced that Namibia has been awarded the UNESCO International Literacy Prize for its ‘Excellent National Literacy Programmes’, which improve the quality of life of disadvantaged adults and out-of-school youth.
The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy 2013 will be awarded to the Directorate of Adult Education in the education ministry during the ceremony for the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes scheduled for September 9 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. Namibia will receive a diploma, a silver medal and U$20 000.
Namwandi also said the ALW is a week for all the 14 regions of Namibia to rejoice in the country’s modest success in reading, writing and counting.
“Adult Learners’ Week is a moment to celebrate our UNESCO International Literacy Prize we won through hard work, raise awareness and to create more opportunities for adults through lifelong learning,” Namwandi added.
As per latest census estimates of 2011, he said, the 89 percent literacy rate in Namibia should be regarded as no mean achievement, despite the fact that “we have not met the constitutional directives that we have set for ourselves.”
A total of 491 family literacy centres across Namibia were established in rural schools to assist parents and care givers of Grade 1 learners. These centres, Namwandi said, are expanded proportionally each year in all regions.
A total number of 5 230 parents and caregivers of Grade 1 children enrolled for the family literacy programme. To support government strategies of poverty alleviation, the education ministry has embarked on adult skills development for self-employment that provides capacity building in business management skills and informal sector promotion by exposing the entrepreneurs to business ethics, banking procedures and creation of employment. This year’s national theme for ALW is “Literacy for Enlarging Livelihood Opportunities in Namibia”. The International theme is ,”Literacy’s for the 21st Century.”
By Albertina Nakale