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Content Applications and Services
Namibia
Shafika Isaacs
UNESCO
Montevideo Uruguay
April 2011
Population: 2.1m
Pop Density: 2.6 per sq km
3 ethnic groups: Hutus (85%),
Tutsis (14%) and Twa (1%)
Age structure – 36% under 14
Median age – 21 years
37% urban Population: 18%
HIV Prevalence: 15.3%
The Bantu education system was based on
inequitable funding, resource allocation and
access to education
Ideologically premised on a view that indigenous
Namibians were not qualified or capable of
making decisions to shape their own destiny.
This culture of racism, inequality and social,
economic, and academic segregation was
maintained through the fragmentation of the
national system into 11 separate education
authorities based upon ethnicity
One of top 10 countries
worldwide in terms of share of
GDP spent on education.
One of the few countries in SSA
maintain a social safety net for
the elderly, disabled, orphaned
and vulnerable children, and war
veterans.
•Among the world's worst HIV/AIDS
epidemics
•Among the most unequal income and
asset distribution in the world.
•Per Capita GDP average of USD2,166 a
person, one-third of Namibians
survive on less than a dollar a day.
Primary Gross Enrolment Ratio: 109%
(2007)
Secondary Gross Enrolment Ratio:
59%
Quality of Education a major
challenge
Shortage of textbooks and quality
education resources
Textbooks are under strict copyright
laws making production costs
prohibitive
Textbook supply chain is sluggish
1 in 7 teachers are HIV Positive
Includes Content
Availability as one of 7
deployment areas
E-Learning Centre
Digital Library
Questions
1. Barriers to good quality digital content
2. Role of government, private providers
and teachers in the creation of content
applications and services?
3. What role can OERs play