Despite the Ministry of Education, Art, and Culture's stance on parents' voluntary contributions, some parents say schools are not complying.

The ministry says any funding initiatives introduced at schools are voluntary and should only be done in consultation and agreement with parents or guardians.

In an effort to promote free and inclusive primary and secondary education, the government took over the task of providing essential resources, including funding for each learner, to relieve parents from paying the compulsory school development fund.

Building additional classrooms to cater to the ever-increasing demand for schools is one of the pressing priorities for the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture.

The Deputy Executive Director of the ministry, Edda Bohn, has revealed that the ministry has spent over N$155 million to construct 534 additional classrooms, 74 ablution facilities, and over 700 posts.

For now, school gates are still closed, but when the bells ring next week, it might be a different scene.

Cabinet has approved an Education Grant Policy to reduce existing inequities and provide an efficient and equitable funding mechanism.

The goal is to ensure that schools and learners from different socio-economic backgrounds have access to adequate resources for full participation in education.

The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture introduced access to free education at the primary level in 2013 and in secondary education since 2016.

This means all learners should attend school even if their parents cannot afford any contributions.

Under-achievement and under-participation of boys in education have become a national concern and stakeholders are actively exploring ways to support the boy child.

A two-day colloquium was initiated by the University of Namibia (UNAM), to look into the topic.

The colloquium aims to find solutions to improve general academic achievement among boys and establish the causes of academic differences between male and female learners.

The Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU) has joined the chorus of those denouncing the sentiments expressed by the Education, Arts, and Culture Minister, Anna Nghipondoka.

NANTU acting President Daniel Humbu says Nghipondoka's sentiments, in which she squarely placed blame on teachers and education regional directors, are misplaced.

The union leadership is not reacting kindly to the minister's address when she announced the historic failure rate of the 2022 final examination results in December last year.

The Deputy Executive Director of the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture says the education system is in crisis.

Edda Bohn attributes the current state of affairs in education, including the poor performance of learners in the new curriculum, to the economic recession experienced prior to 2016.

Bohn says that the funding availed by the central government to effectively implement the new curriculum has not been sufficient.

The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture is working hard to ensure that schools have qualified teachers and counselors to provide psychological support to learners.

Unpacking the role of the education sector in the fight against GBV, Deputy Executive Director Edda Bohn says the ministry has programs in place that provide meals to primary school pupils as well as safety for children in schools.