Justicia Shipena
The Ministry of Education Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture will revise 31 Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) syllabuses.
This is as part of its curriculum review cycle, with changes set to take effect in 2029.
The minister of education innovation, youth, sports, arts, and culture, Sanet Steenkamp announced the plan while presenting the 2026/2027 budget.
“Curriculum revision is critical to ensure the relevance and currency of syllabuses. As society, technology and knowledge evolve, syllabuses must be updated,” she said.
The announcement comes as the education budget increases to N$28 billion for the 2026/2027 financial year, a 9.6% rise from the previous year.
The operational budget stands at N$27.4 billion, while the development budget is N$588.3 million, reflecting a reduction that may affect infrastructure projects.
Steenkamp said the ministry will focus on access to education, teacher training and curriculum development under seven priority areas, including early childhood development, literacy and numeracy, ICT and support for creative industries.
About 36% of full-time NSSCO candidates qualified for NSSCAS in 2025, up from 29.5% the previous year. She said more learners also met requirements for higher education.
Enrolment increased by more than 31 000 learners to 927 647 in 2025.
Steenkamp said early childhood education will receive N$1.1 billion, which will support teacher training, curriculum work and feeding programmes for about 51 000 children.
Primary education will receive N$11.8 billion, with a focus on improving numeracy and teacher support.
However, she said challenges remain in early learning. According to her, only 34% of Grade 3 learners reached basic numeracy in 2025, while literacy stood at 25%.
The ministry plans to improve teacher training, expand learning materials and introduce early assessments in local languages.
Secondary education received N$5.3 billion. About N$1.6 million will be used to train 280 teachers on revised NSSCAS content and assessment.
Steenkamp said funding for higher education increased by 30.7%.
Nearly N$2 billion will cover tuition and registration, while N$2.5 billion will support other student costs.
She added that funding for the University of Namibia and Namibia University of Science and Technology has also increased.
Vocational education received N$614.5 million to align training with labour market needs and support partnerships in sectors such as oil and gas.
The ministry reported progress in building classrooms, laboratories and hostels, although overcrowding remains in some schools.
Steenkamp stated that a total of 1 140 teaching posts and additional support staff positions were created.
ICT access is expanding, with more schools receiving computer laboratories and improved internet access.
The creative sector will receive N$50 million to support job creation and projects such as the Namibia Annual Music Awards.
Steenkamp warned that the lower development budget will affect infrastructure plans.
“The ministry will not be able to implement new projects or respond adequately to rehabilitation needs without additional funding,” she said.
