A study carried out by the University of Namibia (UNAM) indicates that money matters and the desire to get rich is one of the factors that stands in the way of a boy child excelling in education.

This information was shared during the university's graduation ceremony at Rundu.

Of the 4,455 UNAM graduates, only 32% are male, while women make up 68%. 
 
Unam's Vice Chancellor says for the past seven years, women have been dominating university graduations nationally.

Professor Kenneth Matengu says the institution's study indicates that boys and men are focused on becoming rich and miss the importance of education.

"Something is not right in terms of how we are raising the boys to value education. They highlighted that the most important thing for them is to be rich, but how do you get rich without education? Of course, they know that there are people who are richer but are not educated, but this is because there is a difference between being educated, skilled, trained, and learned. Therefore, it is important that all of us take on the responsibility of a teacher to inspire, motivate, and lead. I am concerned. Where is the boy child?"

Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah also expressed disappointment that men or boys still lag behind in education and is calling on parents to invest in their male children.

"I am also looking in the hall on the side of the parents. I will not, out of respect, ask our parents to stand so that I will be able to see the ratio of those who are here today in terms of the fathers and the mothers, but my eyes are telling me the majority of the parents are the mothers. And the fathers? We have not yet reached the level of science where we could scientifically have one parent for one child. I am therefore worried. Dear parents, be close to your children. Motivate the boy child. Motivate the girl child. We cannot develop this country if one section of our population, either boys or girls, is not taking part. We should really take this message very seriously if we really mean development in this country."

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Photo Credits
UNAM

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Author
Elizabeth Mwengo