Martin Endjala
The Landless People’s Movement as part of its commitment to free quality education and well-resourced education, have announced a sponsorship for students in regions that it controls to the tune of N$400 000 and have also set aside about N$1.2 million towards tertiary education.
The money was paid for registration and tuition fees for students in the region in the two southern regions it governs. This was confirmed by the LPM Youth League Command Leader Duminga Ndala during a press conference today in Windhoek.
N$50 000 have so far been spent for tuition fees for students registered with higher learning nstitutions in the Kharas region. The Kharas Regional Council has also set aside N$1.2 million for students in specialized fields of study that are a priority in the region.
A further N$350 000 has been awarded by the Hardap Regional Council to students for further studies. Under the LPM youth command they are currently funding five students. Ndala further hopes that other institutions like the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund {NSFAF} and other
regional councils to draw lessons and emulate what they are doing.
The LPM Youth Command Element core mandate is promote a free and well-resourced education, where each and every Namibian learner should have access to quality education. “That is our mandate and we will continue to advocate for it until it comes to fruition.’’
Ndala further condemned actions undertaken to send learners back home for failing to pay an amount of N$150 in hostel fees.
“The Namibian government says education is a priority and not a privilege. We say from the LPMYCE that education is not only a priority but it’s a human right, meaning that each and every person should have access to education because it’s our human right,” Ndala stated.
She pointed out that Children’s should not be punished for the inability of their parents to pay.
“We know that thousands of people are living in deplorable conditions and we have a high rate of
inequality, so this does not make any sense that a principal should actually send these learners home because they failed to pay N$150,” Ndala stated.
She continued to point out that they are of the opinion that the action taken by the school headmasters is an attempt to destroy the academic career of the Namibian child, stressing that no child should be turned away from school based on unaffordability.
Hence, she is calling on the Ministry of Education in particularly the Executive Director Sanet Steenkamp to intervene in the matter and to ensure that this does not repeat.
