Windhoek
Children going an extra mile taking advantage of the opportunities provided are those whose parents value education.
Education is not valued enough yet because its importance have not as yet been externalised. . Until education is instilled as a value into the children and society, the desired result won’t be realised, says Marie Jeanne Ndimbira, Co-founder of Physically Active Youth (PAY) Namibia and director at Twamanguluka during a one day conference held at Safari Conference Centre yesterday. More than 60 participants discussed various perceptions of the role of education today in Namibia and how it impacts the lives and opportunities of young people exploring the topic: “Opportunities for Namibian youth: The role of education.” The topics addressed included the current situation of young people and the challenges that they may face in a developing Namibia and as part of the global village putting emphasis on how the Namibian education system should respond to these challenges.
The conference also exposed the voices of young people to topics that impact their very existence with movers and shakers in the education field listening and responding to these concerns. The first of the themes addressed included the current situation of the Namibian Youth, highlighting concerns of unemployment i.e. their fears and frustrations, as well as other issues that should be addressed in the education system. In line with the above theme, Ndimbira said the system is not doing enough to settle the income gap and therefore should be used to help young people by giving them the opportunity to help themselves. “As a community we need to push for change, until people are forced to change. Education is the key and we need to value it,” she said.
Speaking in regards to the second theme, the ever changing technology and the impact they have on the education system, looking at how these technological demands through education affect the socio-cultural facets of a society, Mandela Kapere of the National Youth Council says that the Namibian education system sis not dysfunctional but believes that there are many aspects that can be improved.
“Much still need to be done to build a strong nation. Dialogues such as this one are appreciated. We need to create a class of young people who are aware of whom they are and appreciate their identity. We need an education system from a cultural perspective, value, equality and social conscious,” says Kapere.
Kapere adds that the education systems face the dual challenges like equipping students with the new knowledge, skills and values needed to be competitive in a global market and producing graduates who are responsible adults, good citizens both of their country and of the world.
“Thus globalisation challenges us to rethink not only how much education is needed but also its ultimate purposes. Young people should be conscious of what’s happening around the world, we don’t want our young people to be consumers of others knowledge,” he says.
Other topics discussed included the Cultural sensitive education in Namibia, the ways of harmonizing education vs. technology through blended learning and advocating for entrepreneurs to bring possible solutions to the education system. Personal stories were also shared at the conference by Professor Joseph Diescho and Dr Paulina Elago. The event was organised by The University Centre for Studies in Namibia (TUCSIN) and Konrad Adenauer Foundation.