Discrimination against our language

MR JEREMIAS GOEIEMAN WRITES:

Open letter to Mr Absalom Absalom (PRO: Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture)

At the recently ended Second Annual Nama Festival the Chairperson of the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA), Gaob Petrus Simon Moses Kooper, addressed the painful issue of blatant discrimination against Khoekhoegowab. Gaob Kooper said that Khoekhoegowab is spoken by the second largest group of people in Namibia, but regrettably the language is not taught at higher level in the Namibian Curriculum.

For those of you who don’t know the language is spoken by the Nama, Hai//om and ?Nukhoe (Damara) in Namibia. The Gaob further said that “other languages of fellow-citizens living in northern-Namibia are approved for higher level, but the discrimination against our mother tongue result in lower admission to tertiary education for our children.” Gaob Kooper said that this is discrimination and that it should stop, henceforth.

The New Era newspaper carried this story on Wednesday, 5 June 2019. The Public Relations Officer in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Mr Absalom Absalom admitted that Khoekhoegowab is one of the five languages that are currently not offered at higher level in Namibian schools. Shamelessly, he informed the nation that these languages will be included in 2021.

Furthermore, he cited the following as possible reasons why these languages are not offered at higher level: (a) need existing, (b) number of capable teachers and (c) learner population. Now, Mr Absalom, before putting things for you in perspective let me tell you that you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

EXISTING NEED

I am not quite sure what you mean by saying that this is one of the determining factors for Khoekhoegowab to be offered at higher level. Should I understand that you mean that Khoekhoegowab speakers don’t need their language to be offered at NSSCH level? Do you tell us that there is no need to offer Khoekhoegowab on higher level?

Who determines whether there is a need? You or the owners of this language? Please go read Article 3 of the Namibian Constitution.

The moment you realise that there are Khoekhoegowab speaking Namibians in this country, you will wake up from your deep sleep to the reality that we need our language to be offered at higher level.

In the year 2010 when you implemented Oshidonga at higher level who informed your decision? Who told you there was a need for this?

You should understand, Mr Absalom, that this is not the implementation of a new language in the curriculum. Rather, it is just the change in the level of a language that is already offered at ordinary level in the current curriculum.

When you put a frog in a jar with a lid, that frog will just jump up and down. The moment you open the lid you will see how far this frog can jump. This is precisely what you have been doing for the past two decades with the Khoekhoegowab speakers whilst the Oshidonga speakers could jump as far and high as their abilities allow them.

This, my dear learned colleague, is the clear and blatant discrimination the Royal Highness, Gaob Kooper, referred to in his statement.

Pierre Bourdieu believes that dominant classes define their own culture as worthy of being sought and possessed and they establish it as the basis for knowledge in the educational system. Is it the case in Namibia? Just wonder . . .

CAPABLE TEACHERS

Mr Absalom, let me quote verbatim from the 2013/2014 Annual report of the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED).

“The First Language syllabuses for NSSCH Khoekhoegowab, Otjiherero, Rumanyo, Setstwana and Thimbukhushu were approved by the National Examinations, Assessment and Certification Board (NEACB) and comprehensive training workshops are planned to improve the competency level of teachers before implementation in 2016. Did you see that the report states 2016 for implementation of the NSSCH syllabi of these languages? You need to tell us what happened to that.

This teacher training was conducted in 2013 as was planned. I can attest to the fact that the Khoekhoegowab secondary school teachers for all seven (7) regions offering Khoekhoegowab were trained under the capable hands of Mr L.S.D. Davids. This NSSCH training took place during the week of 20-24 May 2013. Thirty-four (34) teachers were trained.

I was one of the facilitators at this workshop. There is documentary evidence to this effect.

We even went to the extent where we compiled Specimen Question Papers which were supposed to be written in 2016. Go ask the DNEA (Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment) what happened to those papers.

What capable teachers do you refer to, sir? Do you think that Oshidonga speaking teachers are more capable in teaching their language than their Khoekhoegowab speaking colleagues? For your information, some Khoekhoegowab speaking teachers are the authors of Khoekhoegowab texts which are used in schools. What better way is there than to teach a book of which you are the author?

These are National Examiners, National Markers, National Chief Examiners and National Chief Markers. Teachers who draw up syllabi and question papers for Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). People who are professionally well-qualified and conversant in their language. These are people who taught and are teaching this language for years since the first Khoekhoegowab NSSCO Examination in 1998 at Cornelius Goreseb Secondary School.

LEARNER POPULATION

Mr Absalom, what is the number of learners needed to change a subject which is offered at ordinary level to higher level? Are we Khoekhoegowab speakers in this country so dumb that we should be fed with these type of non-sensical rubbish?

Every year more than 500 candidates write the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) level. These are the same learners who will write the higher level (NSSCH) if accorded the opportunity by your system.

The education system in this country of us has a goal called access. In relation to multicultural education this term refers to the need to equip learners with the powerful forms of language, knowledge and skills to cope in mainstream society. This should also be the case for the Khoekhoegowab speaking Namibian child. If we have five (5) learners offering Khoekhoegowab in Grade 12 at a school and all of them opt for higher level what harm is in it?

Let us not confuse people with untruths. You and I know the reasons for this discrimination.

Therefore, let us be bold and shoulder the consequences for our actions. Tell the nation the truth at least. Since you know these are not valid reasons for not offering Khoekhoegowab at higher level.

CONCLUSION

Mr Absalom, I have been part of the development of this language for years now. I served in various positions where I was and is directly involved with the planning and development of Khoekhoegowab. So, please don’t mislead the nation.

If you don’t have the answers consult the relevant people, like the colleagues at NIED, who are directly involved in language development. It is high time to tell the people what they should know and not what the elite wants them to know.

I am grateful that platforms like the Nama festival came into existence so that people can hear the truth. This fight for the NSSCH for Khoekhoegowab and other neglected languages are coming for years. Unfortunately, mother tongue issues are always rubbished by our arrogant politicians as going back to Bantustans, the Odendaal Plan and ethnicity. However, at the same time other Namibian African languages are developed at the expense of others.

“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than the others.”