Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Students Union of Namibia (SUN) has appealed to the higher education ministry to open more vocational training centres to provide schools with furniture and create jobs.
During a press conference in Windhoek on Friday, SUN president Benhard Kavau said
technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centres should be empowered to manufacture pupils’ shoes and class furniture.
He was referring to the appropriation bill whereby the higher education ministry was allocated N$3,8 billion and basic education N$16,8 billion.
Kavau said this money should be focused on post instructors’ education, training and upskilling (in-country and abroad) to enrich them with professional and technical knowledge in new economic niche areas.
“Let Kavango region have a TVET centre that will make chairs and tables to give to learners at school.
“We cannot accept that after more than 30 years of independence that learners are sitting on the floor,” Kavau said.
The union’s acting secretary for basic education, arts and culture, Hilma Amadhila, further pleaded for the ministry to increase the NSFAF amount.
The union urged the prompt disposal of money to NSFAF to reduce delays in payments.
Amadhila said the ministry should aim to separate the amount allocated to a sector to indicate how much must be used for what.
“When the money is put together, we don’t know what the money is used for because we don’t see any improvements,” Amadhila said.
The union appealed to the ministry to hasten the construction of more classes and pupil accommodation in order to avoid poor performance of Grade 11 and 12 pupils.
“We want to see to it that the Universal Primary Education grant (UPE) is paid to schools on time: we want to see quick appointments of qualified teachers in the ministry,” said Amadhila.
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