By: Efraim Shimbali
The introduction of formal education in Namibia, particularly under colonial rule—first by Germany and later under the South African apartheid administration—was not designed to empower the indigenous population.
Rather, it was strategically used as a tool of control and subjugation. When colonisers invaded Africa, they could not understand African languages, and they could not ship all Europeans to Africa to foster the workforce required. To break the communication barrier, education of foreign languages was then enforced upon locals.
This assisted Europeans in recruiting Africans to work for them on various projects they introduced and not necessarily to empower them with practical skills of product development. Education systems were structured to limit critical thinking and preserve the social hierarchy where Europeans remained intellectually and culturally superior.
A cornerstone of this colonial agenda was the introduction and enforcement of foreign languages, especially English (later Afrikaans was featured), as mediums of instruction and academic success. Hence, promotion was embedded on excellence towards English. After physical brutality independence in 1990, English was chosen as the official language for purposes of national unity and international participation. While this decision was politically sound in many respects, its current implementation in the education system requires urgent attention for review.
Presently, English is not just a medium of instruction, but a promotional subject—meaning that failure in English often results in the failure and collapse of the progression of a learner, regardless of a learner’s performance in other subjects. This approach has empowered English as a measure of intelligence, which is not practically true.
A foreign language, which was enforced during colonialism implementation, has forfeited many dreams in this education system. Should this not be a mere linguistic ability? To bring more consciousness, a Chinese does not need a foreign language to produce a product. Sadly, a Namibian fluent in English cannot even produce a pen they write English with.
This framework disproportionately disadvantages learners who speak indigenous languages at home; learners who take pride in their culture and preserve it from total erosion. While it remains important as a global language, it should not be used as a gatekeeper that undermines the intellectual potential of learners by making it a promotional subject. There is no sense of intelligence in language profeciency.
One may speak fluent English with poor intellectual capacity, while the other may not be fluent in English, but possess excellent intellectual competence. Assessment systems should focus on product development, ability to study community problems and provide tangible solutions—regardless of language proficiency. Why are the indigenous languages not then strengthened in curricula as promotional subjects?
Namibia’s education system should ensure that each school in Namibia comprises an indigenous language and mandatory Kiswahili language, as a lingua franca towards the Pan-Africanism agenda. We ought to have an education system that pictures Africa’s unity. A language is a room to your culture and with European language education, it played a central role in the erosion of Africans’ cultural identities. The fundamental objective of the education system introduced during colonialism reamins unchanged. Hence, it is still a Cambridge-accredited education system. One could only ask about the independence we claim and when Africans will learn about discoveries made by Africans.
Missionary schools, which formed the basis of formal education in Namibia during colonial times, did not only provide basic literacy, but also introduced Eurocentric worldviews, values, and religion, particularly Christianity. As a result, African spirituality, traditional practices, and indigenous knowledge systems were vilified, often labelled as satanic, evil, pagan, uncivilised, or demonic.
There is nowhere, in the education system, where you will find African/Namibian cultural articulation or extensive cultural knowledge presentation. There is nothing teaching cultural diversity of Africans/Namibians, but there is everything about Christianity. One could only ask if missionaries found Africans with no beliefs and why there is no education of that. The education system introduction of colonialism derailed Africans from valuing their culture, sense of belonging and cultural practices. This cultural dislocation was perpetuated through curriculum design that prioritised religious doctrine over indigenous moral systems and ethical values that had governed African societies long before colonisation.
Africans are not educated about their background and morals that shaped them, hence they have lost dignity, economic ownership as well as their social structure. Could this not be a contributing factor to deaths and crimes? Today, Religious and Moral Education (RME) remains a standard subject in the national curriculum. While moral education is universally important, the current structure often reflects a continued dominance of Western religious perspectives over indigenous African science, philosophies and ethics.
The education system should transform “Religious and Moral Education” into “Cultural and Moral Education.” There is a wealth of knowledge in community leaders/elders which ought to be taught and documented for future generations. With this Cultural and Moral Education subject, it should encompass Africa’s and Namibia’s cultural values and moral frameworks, including ethical teachings from various Namibian ethnic groups, traditional conflict resolution methods, rites of passage, communal responsibilities, and environmental stewardship.
It should also include Africa’s social structure and leadership values. Comparative continental religions should be presented in a balanced, inclusive manner, without prioritising one over others. Africans were not born to be subjects of Europeans’ religion(s) at the expense of their own culture. Such a shift would foster national pride, cultural appreciation, and a sense of rootedness in learners.
This will give learners pride to identify their community problems and study towards providing tangible solutions. It would also provide a more inclusive space for learners who do not identify with the dominant religious paradigms currently emphasised in the syllabus.
Namibia YALI 2024-Partnership and resources mobilisation coordinator
Email: shimbaliefraim98@gmail.com
