Namibia

The guiding motto in Namibia's education system is "Education for All." Children three to six years of age attend nursery schools, day care centers, crèches, and preprimary schools, where available, mainly in the urban areas. In the rural areas, children of preschool age continue in the traditional way, remaining close to the mother.

The Constitution of Namibia guarantees that primary education in Namibia is free and compulsory until completion of primary school or age 16. Students pay for higher education. Between 60 and 70 percent of the children in formal education in Namibia are at the primary level. Formal primary education in Namibia consists of seven years (grades 1 through 7); three years of junior secondary school (grades 8 through 10); and two years of senior secondary school (grades 11 through 12).

Namibian children attend school year-round, with breaks in May, September, and December through January. Most schools board students in hostels and provide all meals. Expensive school boarding fees prohibit the attendance of the poorer members of the population. Relatively few students have books in Namibia. According to the Ministry of Education, in 1994, of 1,553 schools only 262 had book collections, let alone libraries. In the densely populated north, many schools have neither books nor electricity. These schools are often known as "tree schools," with classes held in the shade of the village trees because there are no communal buildings.