Education in
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
is compulsory for 10 years between the ages of 6 and 16.
[ ''This article incorporates text from this source which is in the ]public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work
A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
. There are approximately 1900 schools in Namibia
of which 100 are privately owned.
Namibian subjects' syllabi are based on the
International General Certificate of Secondary Education
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language based examination similar to GCSE and is recognised in the United Kingdom as being equivalent to the GCSE for the purposes of recognising prior attainm ...
which is part of
Cambridge International. The
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
directs the government to provide free primary education; however, families must pay fees for uniforms, stationery, books, hostels, and school improvements. Among sub-Saharan African countries, Namibia has one of the highest literacy rates.
History of Education in Namibia
Before independence
Before Namibia's independence, the country's education system was designed to reinforce
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
rather than provide the necessary human resource base to promote equitable social and economic development. It was fragmented along racial and ethnic lines, with vast disparities in both the allocation of resources and the quality of education offered.
[ ''This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain.'']
After independence
The new Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) set about to create one unified structure for education administration. Currently, Namibia allocates more than 20% of its national budget to education. This represents six to seven percent of Namibia's total GDP and is one of the three countries with the highest percentage of GDP directed toward education in the world.
[ Educational institutions in Namibia and their portfolio are accredited by the ]Namibia Qualifications Authority
The Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) is a statutory body in Namibia, regulated in terms of the National Qualifications Framework Act No 29 of 1996. It is made up of 29 members appointed by the Minister of Education in consultation with th ...
(NQA). This institution evaluates and accredits national institutions and degrees, as well as foreign qualifications of people who wish to demonstrate the national equivalence of their degrees earned abroad.
Researchers from the United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
opine that the investment is paying off. A new, uniform and learner-centered curriculum for grades one through twelve, finalized in 1998, has received recognition beyond Namibia's borders and significant progress has been made in the use of English (which replaced Afrikaans as the nation's official language) as a medium of instruction. About 95 percent of school age children attend school and the number of teachers has increased by almost 30 percent since 1990. Over 3000 new classrooms have been built. As a result of these improvements, repetition rates in all grades have been reduced. Whereas in 1991, half the learners in grade 1 were repeating the grade, by 2003, over 84 percent of learners were earning their promotions on time. Dropout rates have also plummeted.[
On the other hand, Namibia's former Minister of Education ]Abraham Iyambo
Abraham Iyambo (2 February 1961 – 2 February 2013) was a Namibian politician. Iyambo was a member of the National Assembly of Namibia since 1995, serving as Ministry of Fisheries (Namibia), Minister of the Fisheries from 1997 to 2010 and as Mi ...
summarily described the Namibian education system as "crippled", citing dropout rates, lack of teaching facilities, financial difficulties, sub-standard vocational training, and absence of pre-primary development. A National Conference on Education, running from 27 June to 1 July 2011, was conferred to address the most pressing issues.
The Namibian education system is experiencing many obstacles. It is faced with serious weaknesses in the provision of education to all. Additionally the quality of education, quality of teachers and the performance of learners is unsatisfactory. The Ministry of Education is drafting an improvement program that is known as the ETSIP (Education and Training Sector Improvement Program). The ETSIP aims to align the entire Namibian education system to Namibia's Vision 2030 and the needs of the Namibian population.[
In all government schools, primary education is free since 2013, and secondary education since 2016. Tertiary educational institutions, both private and public, charge tuition fees. Corporal punishment is not allowed.
]
Education sectors
The curriculum development, educational research, and professional development of school teachers is centrally organised by the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) in Okahandja
Okahandja is a city of 24,100 inhabitants in Otjozondjupa Region, central Namibia, and the district capital of the Okahandja electoral constituency. It is known as the ''Garden Town of Namibia''. It is located 70 km north of Windhoek on the ...
.
Pre-primary education
The Namibian government introduced a three-year pre-primary education pilot programme in 2008. This programme was subsequently given a two-year extension and thus run till 2013. It aims at giving children from poor backgrounds access to pre-primary education and is aimed at children between the ages of five and six. The programme requires the implementation of pre-primary education at primary schools. The progress on the pilot programme thus far:
* Khomas Region
Khomas is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its name refers to the Khomas Highland, a high plateau landscape that dominates this administrative unit. Khomas is centered on the capital city Windhoek and provides for this reason superior trans ...
- 21 of the 67 primary schools have introduced pre-primary education.
* ǁKaras Region
The ǁKaras Region (pronounced , with a lateral click) is the southernmost and least densely populated of the 14 regions of Namibia; its capital is Keetmanshoop. The name assigned to the region reflects the prominence of the Karas mountain rang ...
- 18 out of 38 primary schools have introduced pre-primary education.
* Caprivi Region
The Zambezi Region is one of the 14 regions of Namibia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country. It is largely concurrent with the major Zambezi River where it gets its name from. The region has eight constituencies and its capi ...
- 24 primary schools have introduced pre-primary education.
* Ohangwena Region
Ohangwena is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Eenhana. Major settlements in the region are the towns Eenhana and Helao Nafidi aa well as the self-governed village of Okongo. , Ohangwena had 150,724 registered voters.
Ohangw ...
- 27 of the 138 primary schools have introduced pre-primary education.
Primary education
Compulsory education starts at primary education level at an age of 6. Primary education consists of seven years from Grade 1 to Grade 7 to prepare children for secondary education. The Namibian Government introduced free primary education in 2013.
Secondary education
Secondary education stretches over a period of 5 years from Grade 8 to Grade 12. Children are presented with a National Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary level (NSSCO) after successful completion of Grade 11.
Grade 12 admission is only granted to learners who obtain at least C symbols in two NSSCO subjects and a D in English. After successful completion of Grade 12 learners are presented with a National Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS).[
Grade 11 or 12 cannot be repeated on a full-time basis, for learners that wish to pursue further studies they need to obtain a good grade as per the requirements of tertiary institution both locally or abroad. The Evaluation Scale for Grade 12 is:][
]
Tertiary education
Universities and colleges
Namibia has two public tertiary institutions of general education, the Namibia University of Science and Technology
The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), formerly known as Polytechnic of Namibia, is a public university located in the city of Windhoek, Namibia. Andrew Niikondo is its acting vice-chancellor. NUST was headed by the founding ...
(NUST) and the University of Namibia
The University of Namibia (UNAM) is a multi-campus public research university in Namibia, as well as the largest university in the country. It was established by an act of Parliament on 31 August 1992.
Background
UNAM comprises the follow ...
(UNAM) and one private university, the International University of Management
The International University of Management (IUM) is a private, state-recognized university based in Windhoek, Namibia. It has campuses in Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Ongwediva and Nkurenkuru.
History
The university was founded by David Namwandi i ...
(IUM).
For determining admission to tertiary education in Namibia, school grades are converted into points as follows:
UNAM requires 27 points from five subjects, with two subjects on NSSCAS level, and a C symbol in English. NUST requires 25 points from five subjects, and an E in English. IUM requires 25 points from five subjects, and a D in English.
There are a number of specialised tertiary educational institutions such as the College of the Arts (Cota) in Windhoek
Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 20 ...
, The University Centre for Studies in Namibia The University Centre for Studies In Namibia (TUCSIN) is a tertiary educational institution in Namibia. It is based in the Khomasdal suburb of the capital Windhoek and has campuses in Rehoboth, Rundu and Oshakati.
TUCSIN was co-founded by Beatric ...
(TUCSIN) in Windhoek, Oshakati
Oshakati is a town in northern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Oshana Region and one of Namibia's largest places.
Oshakati was founded in July 1966 and proclaimed a town in 1992. The town was used as a base of operations by the S ...
, Rundu
Rundu is the capital and largest city of the Kavango-East Region in northern Namibia. It lies on the border with Angola on the banks of the Kavango River about above sea level. Rundu's population is growing rapidly. The 2001 census counted 36,9 ...
, and Rehoboth, the Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (NAMFI) in Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay ( en, lit. Whale Bay; af, Walvisbaai; ger, Walfischbucht or Walfischbai) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The c ...
, and the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology
The Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) is a technical vocational training institute in Arandis, Namibia, established in 1991. It had 4,000 students and 270 staff , Eckhart Mueller was its executive director until he was murdere ...
(NIMT) in Arandis.
Vocational education
Th
Namibian Training Authority (NTA)
controls seven vocational centers and supports a number of other institutions like Namwater. They offer a range of courses for school leavers, including; Plumbing, Welding, Electrical general, Automotive electrical, Bricklaying, Cabinet making, Technical drawing, Dressmaking, Hospitality, Office management and Automotive mechanics.
Vocational students in Namibia are given a small amount of money from the government to assist them in attending Vocational Training Centers.
Statistics
According to the World Factbook
''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available ...
, Namibia has one of the highest literacy rates among sub-Saharan African countries. As of 2018, 91.5% of the population age 15 and over can read and write in Namibia were respectively literate.
In 1997, the gross primary enrollment rate was 130.6 percent, and the net primary enrollment rate was 91.2 percent. According to the Ministry of Labor's child labor survey, 80 percent of working children between the ages of 6 and 18 continue to attend school while they are employed.[ In 1998, there were 400,325 Namibian students in primary school and 115,237 students in secondary schools. The pupil-teacher ratio in 1999 was estimated at 32:1, with about 8% of the GDP being spent on education.]
In 2011 the Namibian education system accommodated approximately 600,000 learners of which 174,000 were senior secondary students and below 10,000 were pre-primary pupils. While teachers are seen as generally adequately educated they lack specialised training. Schools consistently perform below expectation; failure and dropout rates are high. Only 12% of learners proceed into tertiary education of any kind due to limited places in universities and vocational training. In 2019 the number of learners at school had increased to 755,943.[
]
References
External links
Namibia Ministry of Education
SACMEQ Namibia
Polytechnic of Namibia
University of Namibia
Namibian Training Authority
{{Education in Africa