As a part of the SUPEP (Secondary and Upper Primary Education Program) within PC Nam, we've been getting some lessons on the history of the region of Namibia, as well as the educational history of the country. I realize that's kind of a boring topic for a blog post, (so if you're not interested, stop reading now!) but I think that it is really interesting and will really strongly effect the experience that we have here. It's very, very intriguing the ways that the recent colonial history of Namibia continues to affect the everyday lives of the people here.
I won't go through a thorough history of Namibia, since it's probably pretty boring to anyone who isn't living here! Suffice it to say that the entire region used to be inhabited solely by the San people (commonly known as "Bushmen," but that's now considered a derogatory term). Other tribes slowly moved in, and the local culture was also influenced by different colonial powers and missionary groups.
I always think of Namibia as a peaceful country--at least for Africa, it's been pretty stable for awhile. Namibia is something of a melting pot of cultures, since there are so many different tribes and groups of people living in one state. However, the last century or so was quite bloody. While the tribes tended to stay pretty isolated, colonial powers (Germany before WWI and South Africa after) imposing their will on locals led to many conflicts. The influence of Apartheid during South African rule can still be felt today, especially since Namibia only gained political autonomy in 1990.
Despite the existence of many different groups of people, Namibians now are very protective of their culture. Just 2 years ago, the body of a woman named Sarah was returned from a French museum. Her body was taken to France in the early 1900s as an example of the uncivilized African people and the physical differences exhibited in an African woman's shape (she was one of over 300 individuals collected by Germans on whom to perform "scientific experiments").
The culture of education in Namibia has also changed drastically over the last 100 years. Following the political history, English only became the national language 20 years ago. "Mother tongues" are still used to teach grades 1-5. Usually these languages are divided by physical region, and cities like Windhoek tend to exhibit isolated communities of different racial groups and mother tongues. The classroom language in Namibia abruptly switches to English in grade 6. It's hard for students to pick up English, because using English outside the classroom can be seen as an attempt to appear high-class. Additionally, many of the older generations do not speak English well and cannot help their children to improve this component of their education.
Colonialism, racism, and Apartheid in Namibia also have resulted in nonuniform education across the country. Missionary schools in the late 1800s did not teach advanced math or science, but simultaneously limited the amount of traditional education passed down from parent to child within some communities. Schools have been segregated, with white students receiving many more resources, through independence in 1990. The Education for All Act effectively demanded a reform of the entire educational system and an end to discrimination. Most recently, Vision 2030 is tied to the UN sustainable development goals and strives to promote social justice, science education, and health and development.
As PCVs, we will work within this educational structure to try to help Vision 2030 become a reality. Still, other issues like alternative teaching strategies, classroom management, and student motivation need to be addressed by schools before the idealistic, if commendable, goals of Vision 2030 can be realized.
That's it for now! I'm going to go enjoy a steaming cup of coffee that my host mom, Alta, just made me since it's a little chilly in the house right. I'll post an update on my new "homestay" living situation soon!
