• Youth

National Conference on Education 2022

Monique Adams

Keetmanshoop

On Monday, 30 May, a stakeholder advocacy meeting on education took place at Suiderlig High School in Keetmanshoop. The ministry of education, arts and culture came with a comprehensive report to embark upon this national process ensuring that all the constituencies have a voice in compiling the final report.

The United Nations (UN) secretary-general will convene the Transforming Education Summit (TES) on19 September during the 77th UN general assembly.

TES seeks to mobilise political ambition, solutions and solidarity to transform education and global efforts to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).

“Our purpose in facilitating the regional consultation is aligned to the pre-summit objective to harness evolving discussions on transforming education and generate momentum leading up to September,” education minister Anna Nghipondoka said.

Inclusive, equitable, safe and healthy schools; learning and skills for life; digital learning and transformation; financing of education and teachers teaching the teaching profession are the five tracks the TES will take into consideration during the regional consultation process.

Nghipondoka said these action tracks aim to place a spotlight on areas that require greater attention and action, which can accelerate the progress on education and the 2030 agenda.

“The summit could not have come at a better time because as we speak, our world is experiencing a global crisis that is depriving millions of children of their right of education.

“Therefore, the urgency in transforming education has become increasingly evident in the wake of the pandemic educational disruption,” Nghipondoka said.

In August 2022, the National Education Conference will be held. It will be 10 years since the end of the 2011 National Conference on Education, which aimed to improve and reform the system.

The conference took place from 27 June to 1 July 2011 under the theme ‘collective delivery on the education promise: Improving the education system for quality learning and quality of life’.

Nghipondoka said it is therefore critical to share on progress regarding assessment of achievements, based on the recommendations.

The just completed comprehensive curriculum reform (2015-2021) to improve education involved restructuring of school phases and the reintroduction of pre-vocational technical subjects.

Some of the objectives of the conference:

Reviewing the extent to which the resolutions and directives of the 2011 National Conference on Education were implemented.

Sharing critical statistical information on the Namibian Education system over the past decade to understand its past, present and future.

Enabling participants to demonstrate the understanding of sustainable policy practices.

Sharing opportunities, achievements and interventions related to the implementation of the ministry’s strategic plan for 2012-17 and 2017-2022.

“I therefore make a clarion call on all participants to engage critically during the group discussions to ensure that we are responsive to our circumstances and reimaging the future of education globally,” Nghipondoka said.