Does free education really achieve its aims?

Delta Primary School
Bertha Tobias

As known to many of us, the government of the Republic of Namibia has issued a directive that declares secondary schooling free to everyone in public schools. Some of the impacts, both positive and negative, are already manifesting at Delta.

The decision by government is a classic example that choices are crossroads and that there is a con to every pro.

Although a relatively inclusive policy, free education has brought about drastic changes that schools in general have had to adapt to. The lack of funds to keep the school going effectively has seen major struggles with regards to sufficient resources, general maintenance and the potential loss of privately employed staff. Financial struggles are the likes of maintaining computers and even school bus licences at Delta.

Delta Secondary School in particular has experienced other minor policy adjustments such as decreased usage of technological equipment such as our Smart Boards and financial constraints in effectively organizing events that have become a part of Delta tradition. These include Delta’s Got Talent, Mr. and Mrs. Delta and even the much-anticipated Matric Farewell. “Free education is not going to work for us,’’ Angelika Jacobie, the school principal says.

She further explains the struggle of maintaining the school effectively and keeping everything as it once was.

The lack of sufficient funding makes it nearly impossible for the school to function as well as in previous years. Fortunately, the school management and staff as a whole are passionate enough to ensure that Delta keeps its head above the water.

When asked for her opinion, Parije Ndjavera, a grade 10 learner, says that the situation has proven to be one of a sweet and sour nature.

“It is good because some people who could not afford to go to school now have the opportunity, but it’s sour because we are going to lose our private teachers as we cannot pay them anymore,’’ Ndjavera says.

The budget cuts are evident in the new lengths that students and staff alike have had to resort to in the never-ending attempt to maintain the standards that Delta has always upheld. On a financial, and an academic stance. Every class now has to organize a fundraiser to collect enough money to fund the school as an educational institution and as a building in itself.

Mrs Catherine Sissing, an English teacher and the superintendent of Delta hostel, expressed her growing concern about maintenance of the school in all aspect. Mrs Sissing says that it’s the little things that matter. She urges that learners take care of their school environment, switch off the lights when leaving a room and report leaking taps to avoid unnecessary financial burdens on the school.

“ Without involvement and commitment from everyone, deterioration is inevitable,” Sissing says. However, as there can be sunshine on a cloudy day, the benefit that comes with this decision is that numerous scholars, some from low to middle income families, are all accommodated at schools of extremely high quality.

The beauty in the choice made by government reveals itself when many learners at Delta portray clear ambition and ability to work hard.

The most appropriate course of action is to simply change our mentality and accept the change before we can adapt it fully. Education is a part of who we all are. The slippery slope comes in choosing the lesser of two evils: to compromise the quality of someone’s education or to deprive another of theirs?

Uzemburuka Murangi, a grade 10 learner says that the effort by some learners is educed because it is no longer their parents paying for it. She further adds that people do not usually appreciate and make the best of things that are handed to them for free. “We should go back to paying school fees,’’ Murangi says.

Delta understands that the journey to excellence is one of intense dedication and immense amounts of hard work. This is the very concept that keeps us going as we continuously strive to be a better school.