A.Shipena Secondary School has given Namibia a moment to celebrate. Emerging as the only public school in the Khomas region to place in the national top ten in the 2025 Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) examinations, ranking seventh nationally, is no small achievement. Principal Moses Haufiku’s pride is justified. His words reflect not just institutional success but community spirit. “A community which works together can excel in so many other aspects,” he said, adding that A.Shipena brings a distinct “Katutura flavour” to excellence. In a country desperate for positive education stories, A.Shipena is a beacon.
But while we applaud this milestone, we must confront the sobering reality behind the national results. Only 36% of learners who sat for the 2025 NSSCO examinations qualified to progress to NSSCAS. That means fewer than four in ten full-time NSSCO learners advanced to the next level. Behind every percentage point is a child, a family, and a dream deferred. When nearly two-thirds of learners cannot progress academically after years in the system, celebration must be accompanied by serious national introspection.
Namibia spends a significant portion of its national budget on education. Year after year, education is among the top-funded sectors. We build schools, procure textbooks, pay salaries, and design policies. Yet the outcomes remain persistently disappointing. This contradiction raises an uncomfortable but necessary question: What are we doing wrong with education?
The success of A.Shipena proves that excellence is possible within the public school system. It shows that committed leadership, community involvement, teacher dedication, and a culture of discipline and aspiration can yield results. However, one school’s success cannot hide systemic weakness. If A.Shipena can thrive in Katutura, why are so many other schools failing to produce even minimum progression rates? Are resources reaching the classroom effectively? Are teachers adequately supported and held accountable? Are curricula relevant and well delivered? Are learners being guided, mentored, and motivated to believe in their potential?
For years, Namibia has adjusted policies, revised syllabi, introduced new assessment frameworks, and launched improvement plans. Yet the statistics refuse to shift meaningfully. At some point, tinkering at the edges is no longer enough. Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Whether or not Einstein actually said it, the message is clear and painfully applicable. If we continue with the same approaches, the same bureaucratic reflexes, and the same lack of urgency, we will continue to get the same disappointing outcomes.
The problem is not simply one of funding. Many countries achieve stronger results with fewer resources. The problem is effectiveness. Money without impact is waste. Policies without implementation are paper. Training without accountability is meaningless. When only a third of learners qualify to advance academically, the system is not merely underperforming; it is failing a generation.
We must also confront inequality in education quality. Urban schools with strong leadership and engaged communities can produce good results, while many rural and peri-urban schools struggle with teacher shortages, weak management, poor infrastructure, and low morale. A child’s postcode should not determine their educational destiny. Equal access to schooling is not the same as equal access to quality education. Until we address this imbalance, national averages will remain stubbornly low.
Furthermore, we must ask difficult questions about teacher support and performance. Teachers are the backbone of education, but they need continuous professional development, proper supervision, and fair evaluation. At the same time, absenteeism, low expectations, and poor classroom practice cannot be ignored under the banner of sympathy. Supporting teachers and demanding excellence are not mutually exclusive; they are inseparable.
Parents and communities also have a role to play. A.Shipena’s story reminds us that when communities take ownership of their schools, results improve. Education cannot be left entirely to government. Parents must monitor attendance, discipline, homework, and behaviour. Communities must protect schools from vandalism and crime. Learners must understand that education is not an obligation imposed on them but an opportunity fought for by previous generations.
Yet even with community involvement, the ultimate responsibility lies with national leadership. Education is too critical to be managed by routine. It requires urgency, innovation, and courage. Courage to overhaul failing systems. Courage to confront uncomfortable truths. Courage to prioritise learning outcomes over political comfort. Courage to admit when strategies are not working and to change course decisively.
Namibia stands at a crossroads. We can continue on the current path, issuing reports, expressing concern, and promising reforms, while the results stagnate. Or we can choose a new path, one defined by radical honesty, measurable accountability, and relentless focus on learning. The time for half-measures has passed.
A.Shipena Secondary School has shown what is possible. Let their success be more than a headline. Let it be a challenge to the entire system. If one public school in Katutura can rise into the national top ten, then excellence is not a fantasy; it is achievable. The question is whether we have the national will to replicate that success across every region, every school, and every classroom.
Namibia’s future depends on the children sitting in our classrooms today. Every year we delay decisive reform, we mortgage that future. We cannot afford to continue doing the same thing and hoping for different results. The country will have to drastically change course, and the time is NOW
