Abstract
Attending school is a large part of children’s lives, it is central to social relationships and ultimately, plays an important role in healthy development. How children perceive school is thought to be integral to their wellbeing and academic success (Steinmayr, 2018). Children in Namibia face significant challenges as a result of large socio-economic inequities, migration, and orphanhood (Namibia Statistics Agency, 2015; Gentz, Ruiz-Casares, 2019). To examine the impact of socio demographic factors on wellbeing, the (ISCWeB) gathered data from a representative sample of 2124 grade four and six children in the Khomas region of Namibia in 2018. This survey provided a platform for children to express their satisfaction with various aspects of school life such as their peers, teachers, and school safety. Students generally express reservations regarding the support of the teachers. We found variations between males and females in satisfaction with different areas of school life as well as types of violence most often experienced at school; girls report more exclusion and boys report more verbal and physical violence. Study findings will be useful to teachers and other school staff to plan actions to support students. Despite school-related concerns, our findings show high levels of Overall Subjective Wellbeing across age and sex groups. This highlights the need for further investigation on the influences of subjective wellbeing. We hope that these results will help shape conversations in children’s communities and create environments conducive to healthy wellbeing.
