A/HRC/24/41/Add.1 56. The Special Rapporteur also received information about the lack of participation of indigenous groups in decisions related to natural resource extraction, a mainstay of the Namibian economy. Decisions regarding extraction and development of natural resources are largely managed from Windhoek, with few benefits going to communities affected by these activities. Nama people informed the Special Rapporteur of inadequate participation in planning and development of mineral extraction, especially diamonds, in the areas where they live. Similarly, Himba of the Kunene Region noted that neither their communities nor traditional leaders were informed about mining activities being carried out in their traditional territories and grazing lands. Further, there is also strong opposition by Himba, Ovazemba, Ovatue, and Ovatjimba peoples to the proposed construction of the Baynes hydroelectric power project. The proposed dam would be constructed on the Kunene River in an area that these various groups, and the Himba in particular, regard as their traditional territory and that is connected to their livelihoods and to cultural practices associated with ancestral graves. C. Education 57. In 1990, the Government of Namibia inherited a national educational system defined by apartheid policies, under which generations of black indigenous Namibians received an education far inferior to that of the white minority. The effects of these discriminatory educational policies continue to the present day, and disparities in learning outcomes persist between blacks and whites. However, children in marginalized indigenous groups, in particular the San and Himba, continue to face the greatest challenges with respect to access to education and achievement levels. 58. Since independence, a constitutional and policy framework has been put in place to make education accessible to all Namibians. The 1990 Constitution requires that primary education shall be compulsory and free (art. 20, para. 2). Significantly, within the first years of independence, the then Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport developed the Language Policy for Schools, which calls for the use of the mother tongue as the language of instruction during the first three years of formal education, with a transition to English thereafter.13 Further, the education sector receives the largest portion of the national budget. 59. The Government also has specific policies and programmes in place to address the educational challenges of what are considered vulnerable groups within Namibia. The National Policy Options for Educationally Marginalised Children of 2000 recognized San and Himba children as “educationally marginalized”, meaning that they experience difficulties in gaining access to basic education, drop out of school prematurely, or are “pushed out from the formal education system by the system itself”.14 In the National Policy Options document, the Government proposes the use of “special efforts” to facilitate greater access by marginalized groups to the education system and greater retention of such groups in the system.15 It also provides several options for combating poverty and discriminatory attitudes towards marginalized children.16 60. For its part, the Division of San Development supports the development of early childhood centres, as well as literacy programmes for San pensioners, and provides scholarships for schools having a significant number of San learners, to offset costs. In 13 14 15 16 Namibia, The Language Policy for Schools: 1992–1996 and Beyond, p. 4; see also Namibia, The Language Policy for Schools in Namibia, Discussion Document (2003), para. 2.4. Namibia, National Policy Options for Educationally Marginalised Children, pp. 2-3. Ibid., pp. 1 and 25. Ibid., pp. 25-30. 15