Namibian Children's Parliament officially opened
Young Namibians focused on change
Young parliamentarians confirmed their commitment to advocating for, among other issues, inclusivity in the education sector, children's rights and access to education for all.
The Namibian Children's Parliament launched its sixth session in Windhoek on Monday, bringing together secondary school learners from across Namibia.Over 60 learners representing all 14 regions, with four learners from each region as well as learners from marginalised communities, discussed critical matters related to the theme of transforming education.
The newly appointed members of the sixth session took their oaths on Monday.
Additionally, a democratic election was held for the speaker and deputy speaker. This election saw Jane Phiri from the Hardap Region elected as the speaker, and Michael Ajiboso from the Kavango East Region was elected as the deputy speaker.
Committed to change
Phiri confirmed her commitment to advocating for inclusivity within the education sector, with a strong focus on information, communication and technology (ICT).
“We want to make sure that those in urban, rural and marginalised areas are included in ICT talks to ensure that the African child is heard,” Phiri said.
Upon his appointment as deputy speaker, Ajiboso emphasised his advocacy for children's rights and the safety of Namibian children.
“I am aware that there are certain areas in the country that lack accessibility to education. I am going to expand my knowledge to ensure that the Namibian child will see a job not only in the economic sector but in the environmental sector as well,” Ajiboso said.
Presidential encouragement
The session was officially opened by President Nangolo Mbumba, who expressed his hope that the young parliamentarians will engage in discussions on topics such as examination results, access to education in rural areas, school dropouts, and new areas like digitalisation, green hydrogen, oil and gas.
Moreover, Samuel Kweku Ocran, Unicef country representative, highlighted the importance of the 'Transforming Education' theme, which addresses key challenges related to school attendance, particularly since sub-Saharan Africa has the highest learning poverty in the world.