By Albertina Nakale
WINDHOEK – Some parents who flocked to the graduation ceremony of the University of Namibia (Unam) main campus on Friday did not have the pleasure of witnessing, and ululating in celebration of, their children being conferred with tertiary qualifications because they could not secure a seat inside a packed Safari Hotel and Conference Centre.
Although the university made provision to screen the graduation ceremony live, many parents could not get near the available television sets beaming the proceedings from an already overfull graduation hall. About 1041 students graduated, including those from regional campuses.
The limited space that forced parents and relatives to stand in corridors prompted the Minister of Education Dr David Namwandi to appeal to tertiary institutions to find bigger venues in future so that parents can all witness their children’s achievements.
“When I was entering the hall, our parents were sitting outside. If we had a bigger venue to accommodate all of us, we wouldn’t be like this. Parents are the ones who support these graduates. We have to save our money and find cheaper places to host our graduations. We must get examples from other countries. Some countries hold their graduation ceremonies in parks. I am sure the money we spend here (at Safari) today is not small money,” the education minister remarked.
He congratulated all the graduates saying he was pleased to learn that 175 students were conferred with Honours Bachelor of Education degrees, seven Master’s in Education and three PhDs in Education.
He also applauded the university for its effort to become less dependent on government in terms of financial resources and general support.
“We have taken note of your fundraising activities that have now extended your programme offering to the south of Namibia in Keetmanshoop. We have also taken note of your efforts to create more conducive environments for students by partnering with corporate society to build hostel accommodation for students. I am referring to the newly Emona Residence. Government is very impressed,” he said.