Speaking at the Stakeholder Breakfast Meeting at the Dagbreek School this morning, Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, stated that Vote 40, which includes education and innovation, has been assigned N$24.8 billion in the 2025/2026 national budget. This constitutes 23.4% of the national budget and close to 9% of GDP, higher than international norms. Steenkamp indicated that this is proof of the government's dedication to human capital development. She indicated that the funds will go towards improving access, equity, and quality of education at all levels. Among the top priorities is early childhood education, with N$98 million provided for the construction of 157 pre-primary classrooms. Consolidating literacy and numeracy at the junior primary level remains at the centre of the ministry's "foundations first, excellence always" agenda. In addition, Vote 27, which addresses sport, youth, and national services, received N$1.2 billion, a 46% increase from the previous year. Steenkamp said 4% of the budget of Vote 40 will be used to deal with school infrastructure challenges, including renovations and priority repairs. The Minister stressed that partnerships are the key to success and urged stakeholders to supplement government efforts at making measurable transformations in Namibia's education system. Report: Nghilunanye Petrus