By: Annakleta Haikera
The National African Students Association (NASA) said free education has become a political statement.
The association also called on the education ministry to increase the grants, which should be paid by February to enable the schools to operate.
Addressing the media on Monday at Rundu, NASA president Paulus Vihemba said the government promised the parents that they would not be required to pay school development funds or buy stationery.
Vihemba further said NASA fails to understand what is free about primary education when parents and teachers bear the education expenses.
He also said some learners are denied admission or report cards because their parents would have failed to pay money to the school.
“The education ministry is doing nothing to ensure schools do not exclude, stigmatise, label or discriminate against learners who do not afford to contribute the requested resources,” he said.
He added that schools were putting pressure on parents after the ministry had delayed to release grant money.
According to Vihemba, the expenses spent by parents on stationary and contributions on school projects are two times more now than before the implementation of free and compulsory education.
Vihemba accused the education ministry of being hypocritical and abandoning its commitment to free education.
“We are urging the nation to start discussing the principality of free education. NASA considers this matter a national matter that threatens the free, quality, accessible and well-resourced education and encourages the discrimination of learners based on economic background,” Vihemba added.
The ministry, Vihemba said, should set a maximum amount of parental contributions for all schools to avoid overcharging parents.
“We are calling on the regional directorates to ensure that no learner is refused admission or his/her report card is withheld because of the voluntary parental contribution,” he said.
Vihemba said the association would be on the ground to identify schools barring learners because they cannot afford to pay the voluntary contributions or buy stationery.
