FMD’s impact on tertiary education

PERCY TJAHERE WRITES: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is generally discussed as an agricultural and veterinary challenge. I believe Namibia must also begin discussing it as a socio-economic and human-capital challenge, particularly because of its potential impact on families who depend on livestock as a source of income.For many Namibian households, cattle are more than livestock. They are a form of savings. A cow can pay for school fees. A calf can pay for transport, accommodation, food or learning materials. A small herd can provide the financial cushion a family needs when a child enters tertiary education.When livestock cannot be sold, that financial cushion can suddenly disappear. This is the connection between FMD and tertiary education that I believe deserves greater public attention as Namibia prepares for the 2027 academic year.Namibia's introduction of the subsidised tertiary education funding Model is an important national investment in expanding access to higher education and training. It has significantly reduced the tuition and registration burden for eligible students. But subsidised tertiary education does not mean that every cost associated with studying will disappear.Students may still require accommodation, food, transport, learning materials, data and other forms of support. There are also students who may not qualify for government assistance under the applicable requirements. For many families, these costs are normally managed through household income, savings or the sale of livestock.This is where the present FMD situation becomes particularly concerning. A family may own cattle, but restrictions on livestock movement and marketing may prevent them from converting that asset into cash when needed.The family may still be asset-rich but cash-poor. That distinction can have serious consequences for a young person’s education.A different kind of shock: The Covid-19 pandemic taught Namibia how quickly a national crisis can affect education. During Covid-19, some families lost breadwinners or relatives who had been financially supporting children through school and tertiary education. Others experienced unemployment and declining household income. The FMD situation is different, but there is a parallel. Covid-19 disrupted household income directly. The FMD can disrupt one of the important assets through which livestock-dependent families generate income. The result can nevertheless be similar: a household suddenly loses its ability to contribute towards a child's education.We should prepare for 2027 now. My message to parents is therefore simple: do not wait until January 2027 to start planning. Families whose livelihoods depend substantially on livestock should begin considering alternative financial arrangements now. Where possible, parents should establish a dedicated education savings mechanism. This could be a bank savings account, a disciplined community savings arrangement or another safe and legitimate form of saving.The amount may be small, but the principle is important. The introduction of subsidised tertiary education should not create the perception that parents no longer have a role to play in preparing financially for their children's education.Government support and household preparedness must complement each other.Academic preparation is equally important. Financial preparation is only one part of the solution. Parents must also support their children to perform as well as possible during the final years of secondary school. Academic performance matters because tertiary admission and student-financing opportunities have academic and programme-specific requirements.This is an area where communities can make a meaningful difference. Schools, businesses, churches, alumni associations and community organisations should consider supporting additional academic programmes for Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners.SIMPLE QUESTIONIf we know that education is the foundation of Namibia’s future, why should we wait until students fail before we intervene? The issue goes beyond FMD. From my perspective within the student-financing environment, one of the lessons we must take from the FMD situation is that Namibia needs to think more seriously about education-financing resilience. Today the shock may be FMD; tomorrow it could be drought, another disease outbreak, a major economic downturn or another crisis affecting household income. Our student-financing policies must therefore continue to evolve alongside the socio-economic realities experienced by Namibian families.This does not mean abandoning funding rules or compromising accountability. It means ensuring that policymakers understand how economic shocks can affect the ability of families to support students and, where necessary, consider appropriate mechanisms to protect vulnerable learners and students.Protecting Namibia’s human capital. There is a bigger issue at stake. Tertiary education is not simply a private benefit to an individual student. It is a long-term national investment.This is why I believe the FMD conversation must include education. We must continue supporting the agricultural response to the disease, protecting livestock and safeguarding livelihoods. At the same time, we should monitor its effects on household income and consider what those effects could mean for children preparing for tertiary education.“How do we protect the education of the farmer’s child?” That, in my view, is a question Namibia must begin answering now, not after the consequences have already reached our classrooms, campuses and communities.* Percy Tjahere is the acting deputy executive director at the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund and writes in his personal capacity. This is the condensed version of the original text at the editor’s discretion.

FMD’s impact on tertiary education

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Republikein 2026-10-28

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FMD’s impact on tertiary education

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