xviii. Ensure that the provisions of the Education Act No 16 of 2001 are scrupulously respected and that children who are unable to afford secondary education are assisted; IN RESPONSE Article 20 of the Namibian Constitution provides that all persons in Namibia shall have the right to education. It further provides that primary education shall be compulsory and shall be provided free of charge at State schools. In 2001 Parliament passed the Education Act, (Act 16 of 2001) to give effect to the Constitution and international instruments. The Namibian Constitution states that formal basic education is free and compulsory from age six until the child reaches the age of 16, or when she/he completes primary education if before then. Under the Education Act (Act no.16 of 2001), free basic education is extended to Grade 12, but is not compulsory beyond the limits set in the Constitution. It should be noted that Ministry of Education has implemented Universal Primary Education as of January 2013. In addition, a school grant is given to each primary school. Furthermore, the Education Act, (Act 16 of 2001) provides for the establishment of an “Education Development Fund” which assists learners who are not financially able to contribute towards the School Development Fund (SDF), to purchase school uniforms and even toiletries in such cases. Free education in the context of basic education means that no fees are charged for attendance, tuition, or textbooks. However, in Grades 10 and 12 a registration fee for the examination is required and parents are expected to provide materials for the learner such as pens, pencils, and notebooks, and to contribute to the school development fund. The Ministry of Education has put in place exemption procedures for hostel and examination fees for children whose parents are not financially able to pay these fees. Discrimination in access to education is prohibited by the Namibian Constitution, strengthened by anti-discriminatory education policies and regulations. A National Conference on Education was held from 27 June – 1 July 2011 to discuss the many challenges in the education sector under the theme “Collective Delivery of the Education Promise; Improving the Education and training System for Quality learning Outcomes and Quality of Life”. The Conference aimed to provide a platform for the public and key stakeholders to scrutinize the current state of the education and training system in Namibia and develop strategies to address it. All recommendations made at the Conference were subsequently approved by Cabinet. Cabinet, inter alia gave a directive that free primary - 16 -