Justicia Shipena
Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has warned part-time tuition and examination centres against exploiting learners, saying the ministry will not tolerate practices that put profit ahead of academic support.
Steenkamp made the remarks on Tuesday during the release of the 2025 national examination results.
She said part-time centres play an important role in giving learners a second chance to improve their results or return to formal education but said this responsibility must be handled with integrity.
“These centres exist to serve candidates, many of whom are vulnerable but highly motivated to change their life’s journey through education,” Steenkamp said.
“Any practice that places financial gain above genuine academic support exploits learners and fails to provide meaningful teaching guidance and learner support,” she added.
She said the ministry is concerned about centres that over-enrol students, charge excessive fees and fail to deliver quality teaching.
“We cannot have this. There are entities that are over-enrolling, over-charging, and not delivering on their mandate. That is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate that,” she said.
Steenkamp said all registered part-time tuition and examination centres are expected to operate with professionalism, ethical standards and a strong sense of responsibility.
“The academic success, dignity, and well-being of candidates must be at the core of their mandate,” she said.
She warned that the ministry will act where wrongdoing is identified.
“Should any evidence of exploitation, maladministration, or malpractice be identified, the ministry will not hesitate to institute appropriate and or extreme punitive measures,” Steenkamp said.
She said the aim is to protect learners and preserve the credibility of Namibia’s national qualifications.
Steenkamp said the number of learners using part-time pathways has increased over the years, making it important that centres offering second-chance opportunities show real commitment to education rather than taking advantage of learners’ desperation.
She said enforcement measures will be applied where needed to protect candidates and safeguard the education system.
A total of 42 819 part-time candidates registered for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO)examinations in 2025, compared to 39 002 in 2024.
This represents an increase of 3 819 candidates, or 9.8%.
For the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) examinations, 1 182 part-time candidates registered in 2025, up from 779 in 2024.
Steenkamp said the rising enrolment reflects demand for second-chance opportunities but also highlights weaknesses in support systems.
She said the trend calls for a review of how learners are helped to succeed at their first attempt and how alternative pathways are strengthened.
She said the ministry is concerned that some learners enrol repeatedly without achieving success.
“Of particular concern is the fact that a significant number of candidates have enrolled on a part-time basis for up to five times without achieving success,” she said.
Steenkamp said this shows the need for more focused interventions.
SPYL says results expose deep education gaps
The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) said the 2025 examination results show progress but also expose gaps in the education system that need urgent attention.
On Wednesday, SPYL secretary Ephraim Nekongo said the results should be considered a reflection of national effort rather than just numbers.
“This development expands opportunities for higher learning and vocational training and strengthens Namibia’s long-term human capital base,” he said.
Nekongo said progress should not lead to complacency. He said many schools remain under-resourced, with limited access to textbooks, ICT, laboratories, libraries, and learner support services.
He added that socio-economic hardship continues to affect attendance and study conditions in many communities.
“These structural barriers must be addressed deliberately, because results reflect the environment in which learning occurs,” he said.
Nekongo said much of the budget goes to personnel costs while schools still lack basic learning resources.
“Textbooks, laboratories, ICT tools, libraries, revision materials, and infrastructure maintenance are essential learning instruments, not optional extras,” he said.
He called for targeted support for underperforming schools and regions, stronger teacher development in mathematics, science and languages, and expanded learner support programmes.
He also called for school leadership accountability, with parents and communities reinforcing attendance and discipline.
The United Nations (UN) resident coordinator in Namibia, Hopolang Phororo, said the results show improvements across the country.
“We appreciate the fact that these results are cutting across the whole of Namibia. It’s not just one region, but right across the regions, East Kavango, West Kavango and Oshikoto. That shows that the quality of education is improving on a country basis,” she said in an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday.
She said the progress reflects long-term cooperation between the United Nations and the Namibian government, especially following engagements under the Transforming Education Summit.
“There were a lot of recommendations made as the UN worked together with the government, and it’s good to see that some of those recommendations are actually being implemented,” Phororo said.
She added that teachers need continued support to help learners succeed.
“Teachers also need support in order for them to be able to support students as well as they do,” she said.
Phororo also stressed the importance of investing in school infrastructure, saying access to education depends on both the number of schools and the quality of learning environments.
“It’s not just sometimes quantity. Quantity and quality are inextricably linked,” Phororo stated, emphasising that effective policy implementation is crucial for maintaining progress.
