Education
Ensuring equity and quality education for every child and adolescent
Namibia has embraced free primary and secondary education for all, with net enrolment of over 90 percent for 7 to 18-year-olds age group. The country allocates more than 20 per cent of the national budget to education, however equitable access to education remans a challenge especially among the minority groups, children with disability and the most vulnerable children.
The country is faces with a serious learning crisis where children are in school but not learning, with many learners reaching Grade 4 without being able to read and lacking basic mathematical skills.
The challenge is acute amongst children with disability, especially those with learning disabilities.
While efforts are in place to ensure wider access to Early Childhood stimulation and learning, during the first five years of their lives, there are still challenges in ensuring equitable access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) to all children
Working with the Government of Namibia and other stakeholders, UNICEF focuses on the early years of a child through an Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) approach, which includes preparing children to transition from foundational learning into formal education.
Innovative solutions are also promoted to facilitate better learning outcomes that will equip adolescents with skills to meaningfully engage in their communities, transitioning from learning to earning. UNICEF also promotes adolescent participation in climate action for an improved sustainable resource management
Through these focus areas UNICEF therefore strongly advocates for increased inclusive and equitable access to quality foundational learning and ensure equitable transition to secondary education.
The National Safe Schools Framework and the Sexual Violence in Schools Manual is used to ensure conducive teaching and learning environments in and around schools. The capacity of school boards is also developed to strengthen communication between home, school and the community.
Priorities for education are:
- Inclusive early learning and childhood development
Equitable and inclusive education for children and adolescents, especially for children with disabilities.
