More than 273 million children, adolescents and youth are currently out of school globally, according to estimates from UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the Global Education Monitoring Report. The burden falls heaviest on sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for the largest share, with more than 100 million children and young people excluded from education, particularly at the secondary level.
The learning crisis runs deeper than enrollment figures suggest. World Bank and UNESCO data from 2023 and 2024 show that roughly seven in ten children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple text by age ten, a condition researchers describe as learning poverty. In some of the worst-affected education systems, the proportion is even higher.
Namibia sits within this broader picture. While school enrollment has improved steadily since independence, UNESCO Institute for Statistics and World Bank indicators show that many learners still leave primary school without meeting minimum reading proficiency standards. UNICEF assessments have also pointed to persistent inequalities between urban and rural or peri-urban communities, where household income, vulnerability and uneven access to learning support continue to shape educational outcomes.
For many Namibian families, the desire to provide quality education for their children is often constrained by financial realities. Parents understand the value of education and the opportunities it creates, yet school-related costs can place quality learning beyond the reach of vulnerable households.
It is a challenge that educator and school patron Mrs. Cecilia Kamati-Eliakim has sought to address through the Superb Group of Schools,, where a scholarship programme is helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds gain access to education from pre-primary through Grade 7.
Mrs. Kamati-Eliakim believes education plays a critical role in breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering individuals. Recognising that many parents want quality education for their children but face financial constraints, she established a scholarship initiative aimed at ensuring deserving learners are not denied educational opportunities because of their economic circumstances.
“As a patron, I have established a scholarship program to support deserving children who may otherwise be unable to afford the cost of schooling,” Mrs. Kamati-Eliakim said in an earlier interview.
She noted that the initiative is aimed at providing underprivileged children with the opportunity to unlock their full potential and contribute positively to society.
The programme is anchored at Superb Children’s English Academy (SCEA), the flagship institution within the Superb Group of Schools. Today, the group serves 2,011 learners across its campuses.
Among these learners are 56 scholarship beneficiaries. Approximately 58 percent of those receiving scholarships are female, reflecting the school’s commitment to promoting gender equity in educational opportunities.
The scholarship programme has evolved over time. Earlier reports indicated that Mrs. Kamati-Eliakim had supported more than 20 vulnerable learners through scholarships. As the initiative expanded, the number of beneficiaries grew, reflecting both increasing demand and the institution’s determination to broaden access.
According to the school, scholarship recipients are identified through multiple pathways. Vulnerable learners are referred through local NGOs, churches, traditional authorities and community activists who help identify children with potential but limited means. At the same time, scholarship opportunities are regularly advertised, allowing parents to apply directly on behalf of their children.
The selection process is designed to be transparent and rigorous. School management reviews applications, interviews both parents and learners, and contacts previous schools to obtain academic records and recommendations. Academic performance is strongly emphasised throughout the assessment process.
School officials say the objective is to identify the most deserving and high-potential learners. The management team makes the final scholarship decisions, ensuring that available opportunities are directed toward learners who demonstrate both need and academic promise.
The support offered extends beyond tuition assistance.
Through the Superb Scholars Programme, the school aims for each scholarship to provide up to US$2,550 annually. The support package is intended to cover tuition, hostel accommodation, extracurricular activities and school supplies, helping ensure that beneficiaries have equitable access to educational opportunities.
Maintaining a scholarship, however, comes with responsibilities.
Academic excellence is a key criterion for both selection and retention. Scholarship recipients are expected to maintain strong academic performance throughout their studies, and learners who fail to meet the required standards risk losing their scholarships. School leaders say the policy encourages discipline, accountability and sustained achievement.
The school’s approach recognises that access alone is not enough. Learners must also be supported to succeed once they enter the classroom.
Managing that objective has become increasingly challenging as enrollment has grown.
Although the school’s preferred class size is 35 learners, demand for places has resulted in some classes exceeding that number. Grade 1 classrooms, for example, have accommodated as many as 43 learners.
To address these pressures, most classrooms are supported by both a primary teacher and a teaching assistant, helping ensure that learners continue to receive adequate academic and personal attention.
The school also operates a structured homework timetable focused on mathematics, reading, writing and creative subjects. Learners who require additional support are enrolled in remedial programmes designed to address learning gaps before they widen.
School administrators describe some of these interventions as innovative, noting that certain remedial sessions are occasionally conducted outside traditional classroom settings to keep learners engaged while improving academic performance.
The institution’s experience highlights an important lesson for educational access initiatives: scholarships alone are not enough. Sustained learner support is equally critical to long-term success.
Funding such interventions, however, remains one of the school’s greatest challenges.
The primary source of revenue for SCEA is school fees paid by parents. Monthly fees range from N$700 for learners from Kindergarten to Grade 3 and N$800 for those in Grades 4 to 7. A portion of this income helps support scholarship beneficiaries.
Despite this model, school leaders acknowledge that financial constraints sometimes affect scholarship commitments and expansion plans. Balancing educational quality, scholarship support and infrastructure development remains an ongoing challenge.
The pressure is particularly evident in the school’s expansion programme.
Seeking to accommodate rising enrollment and improve learning facilities, the institution embarked on plans for a new phase that includes additional classrooms, boarding facilities and other educational infrastructure. Attempts to secure loans and external financing for the project were unsuccessful.
Rather than abandoning the expansion, the school relied on its own savings to purchase a 26,800-square-metre plot and begin construction.
Today, two classroom blocks, three offices, a media room, a storeroom and multiple lavatories are nearing completion. School leaders hope to have at least three classroom blocks operational before the end of the current academic year.
According to the school, the expansion has placed the institution under severe financial strain. Leaders say the financial pressures have at times affected scholarship commitments and reinforced the need for additional support to sustain both learner assistance and infrastructure development.
To strengthen sustainability, the school has diversified its funding model.
One avenue has been participation in external competitions. A recent agricultural competition awarded the school N$10,000 for its garden project, providing additional resources to support development efforts.
The institution has also introduced several fundraising initiatives as part of its long-term growth strategy.
Among these is the Superb Scholars Programme, which seeks to secure sponsorship for vulnerable learners. The school has also launched the Superb Signature Benefit Dinners under the theme “For the Love of Education.” These events bring together supporters for evenings featuring cultural performances, African cuisine and presentations highlighting educational achievements and future goals.
Another initiative is Bourne Superb, an e-commerce platform focused on educational merchandise, books and youth development products.
Perhaps the most ambitious fundraising effort is the annual iRun Miles for Minds marathon weekend. The initiative combines a marathon, community village, partner activations and a closing ceremony. Beyond fundraising, organisers envision the event growing into an international rural tourism attraction capable of supporting the school while stimulating economic activity in northern Namibia.
The marathon forms part of a broader fundraising campaign linked to the school’s US$350,000 expansion target. According to the institution, proceeds from these initiatives are intended to support construction of the school’s new phase, helping it respond to increasing enrollment and improve facilities.
The school remains optimistic that these efforts will help it provide Namibian children with what it describes as a world-class education within a future-focused learning environment.
The journey of Superb Children’s English Academy illustrates both the opportunities and limitations of community-driven educational solutions.
On one hand, the institution has created a pathway for dozens of vulnerable learners to access quality education through scholarships, structured academic support and a comprehensive learner development model. On the other hand, the programme continues to face challenges associated with funding, infrastructure and long-term sustainability.
Yet the school’s experience demonstrates how local institutions can respond to educational inequality through practical interventions. By combining scholarships, community partnerships, academic accountability, learner support systems and diversified fundraising mechanisms, the academy has developed an approach aimed at widening educational access while maintaining standards.
For Mrs. Cecilia Kamati-Eliakim, the mission remains rooted in a simple conviction: every child deserves the opportunity to realise their potential through education.
As Namibia continues to confront challenges around educational access, affordability and learning outcomes, the experience of Superb Children’s English Academy offers one example of how communities are working to close the gap.
While financial pressures remain and demand for quality education continues to grow, the school’s combination of scholarships, academic accountability, learner support systems and community partnerships demonstrates a practical response to educational inequality. This response, for dozens of vulnerable learners, has already opened doors that may otherwise have remained closed.
