Africa-Press – Botswana. The children of Botswana have pleaded with the new government to prioritise education for development.
“We are simply saying education goes hand in hand with development, without education there will be no development in Africa. That is why we want to remind you that every child must have access to education. Therefore, I plea with you to invest in education and develop our continent ,” a member of the SADC Children Parliamentary Forum and chairperson of the National Children’s Consultative Forum (NCCF) and Children’s president for Botswana, Aumake Aaron said when Introducing Team Botswana to President Boko.
This was at the just-ended World Children’s Day commemoration for SADC region held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on Saturday.
Aumake, who said she personally considered President Boko as her role model and source of inspiration, said it was important to have a leader who paid close attention to the rights of children as such would inspire them to aspire for leadership roles. Making her presentation of Call-for-Action at the World Children’s Day commemoration, Aumake said the children from the seven SADC countries that were represented at the commemoration had been engaging each other through various platforms prior to the main event.
She said their plea to government was for it to ensure access to education that catered for children from various social backgrounds, including those with disabilities.
Aumake said it was important for government to provide financial support for those in need and address the specific needs of girls and boys that were a stumbling block in accessing education. She also said it was important for the curricula to be enriched by adding practical life skills that enhanced daily living, adding that its content must be designed to ensure relevance and that it met the children’s desires. School must be equipped with appropriate learning materials, she said. She stressed the importance of offering quality innovative education that allowed for critical thinking and creativity.
“Government should provide this in consultation with the children. Educators should be equipped to make learning appealing and impactful, delivered in a conducive environment that included well-equipped laboratories and libraries.
Sharing an insight on NCCF, she said it was formulated in line with Section 34 of the Children’s Act and was the voice of young people – an advocacy group on children’s rights that advised government on issues affecting children.
“We look forward to working with the new government in addressing children’s issues,” she said.
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