Call for Papers - Volume 5: Access to Education for Liberation

The Namibian Journal of Social Justice hereby invites authors to contribute scholarly articles, case studies, photo essays, opinion pieces, book reviews and creative discourses on the theme Access to Education for Liberation.

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Globally, it is widely accepted that education is a public and common good which has the potential to transform societies. For decades, the discourse around fair access to education has centred the development of robust educational infrastructure, equitable resource allocation, as well as inclusive practices in teaching, learning and administration. Access to education alone is not adequate if it does not make provision for quality education.

Education for Liberation is a progressive philosophy and approach that advocates for democratic participation for all in educational processes (Freire, 1972). This educational philosophy is aimed at mobilising social transformation through the praxis of critical consciousness. The right to education enshrined in the Namibian constitution as well as the country’s Education for All policy goals are well aligned with Education for Liberation. However, there continues to be a great disparity between the formulation and implementation of policy frameworks. This could be attributed to Namibia’s liberal democracy which is often critiqued for its neoliberalism. Educators have argued that “liberal democracy advocates equality of opportunities for all at the expense of social justice; and this prevents education from playing its role as a tool for achieving greater equity within society through promoting human, social and economic development” (Amukugo, 2013).

NJSJ volume five recognises the current educational crises in Namibia’s post-coloniality, with its dire and profound consequences. We recognise that the current difficulties facing education systems require critical analyses and strategic interventions that are attentive and responsive to the persistent inequalities that have their roots Namibia’s colonial and Apartheid past. We are aware of the multiple and complex challenges that impede the achievement of quality free education (Shikalepo, 2019). We also recognise that elitism hampers access to and participation in higher education” (Kamwi Matengu and Kangumu, 2014).

We invite contributions that shed light on these intersectional struggles and offer critical engagement on the educational questions of our times. We encourage transformative education inquiry that draws on progressive frameworks such as the decolonial turn, social justice and indigenous onto-epistemologies premised on learner-centred approaches rather than the teacher-centred approaches. Under the learner-centred approach learners are placed at the centre of learning through discovery in social context (Josua; Auala and Miranda, 2022). This ethos is inherently derived from Education for Liberation which we wish to explore as part of the unfinished business of decolonisation in Namibia, Africa and the world at large. Contributions in the following areas are welcome:

• Access to education and free education
• The role of the state in educational provision
• Corporatisation of higher education
• Educational policies
• Diversity and inclusion in education
• Education and gender justice
• Educational responses to the rise in global racism and neo-fascism
• Education and Transregional politics
• Decolonised education
• Critical pedagogies
• Radical histories of educational reform
• Academic freedom
• Informal and popular education
• Social Justice Education
• Culture and educational transformation
• Indigenous knowledge and colonial erasure
• Education and technological developments

References

Amukugo, E. (2013). Liberal democracy, education and social justice in Africa, Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences. 2:1, 144 – 157.

Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Harmondsworth: Penguin

Josua, L., Auala, R. and Miranda, H. (2022). Chronicle of Basic Education Curriculum Transformations in Pre- and Post-Independent Namibia: A Responsiveness Perspective. Creative Education, 13, 1154-1169

Kamwi Matengu, K., Likando, G. and Kangumu, B. (2014). "In Search of Equity and Access in Higher Education in Namibia: Challenges and Achievements", The Development of Higher Education in Africa: Prospects and Challenges, (International Perspectives on Education and Society, Vol. 21), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 187-213

Shikalepo, E. E. (2019). The constitutionality of Free Education in Namibia: A Statutory Review, International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS), 2:9, pp. 115-121.

Deadline for Abstract: 14 April 2025

Please submit to: njsjnam@gmail.com/ edwardsjauch@gmail.com

Submission guidelines: All submission guidelines can be found on Guidelines