Ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha has called on Namibians, particularly parents of school-aged children, to focus their attention on the barriers that African children face in their pursuit of quality education.
Dyakugha made the call on Thursday in commemoration of the Day of the African Child, which traces its roots to the 1976 uprising in Soweto, South Africa, when children demanded to be taught in their own language and to receive better education rather than Bantu education.
The theme of this year’s African Child Day is ‘Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Policy and Practice Progress Since 2013.’
Dyakugha stated that it is well known that education existed in Africa long before the continent was colonised or even before the slave trade, and knowledge, skills, and attitudes were passed down from generation to generation in African societies, primarily through word of mouth.
‘Most education in Africa today is a combination of intellectual and manual labour that imparts skills that should be immediately put to use in the respective communities,’ he said.
He stated that the Ombudsman’s office, like all stakeholders in Namibia, condemns the heinous crimes committed against Namibian children, such as rape, molestation, teen pregnancy, and child labour.
According to him, children should be allowed to attend school in accordance with Article 20 of the Namibian Constitution, and all harmful practices that prevent African children from reaching their full potential should be prohibited.
Namibian politician Elijah Ngurare told Nampa no African country will be free until all of Africa’s children are free of hunger, poverty, underdevelopment, and miseducation.
‘May we never forget the black children of Soweto who marched and died for better education. I believe that quality education for all of our young people must be the common denominator for our continent’s, people’s, and countries’ socioeconomic development ,’ he said.
He stated that after each commemoration, nations should resolve to build a brick for each child, and this must be done by all hands of society, including parents, guardians, traditional leaders, clergy, teachers, and nurses, and that everyone should ensure an environment in which children can grow in harmony and peace.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
