Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
June 2026
The Namibian
Education executive director Erastus Haitengelawarns againstunregistered and unaccredited institutions operating on a 'fly-by-night' basis
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“Haitengela warns against some unregistered and unaccredited institutions that operate on a 'fly-by-night' basis, saying this leaves students with qualifications that may not be accepted by employers or other learning institutions.”
Erastus Haitengelaissuedrejection letters stating medical fields are not on priority list
Source
“The letters, issued by Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts, and Culture executive director Erastus Haitengela and seen by The Namibian yesterday, state that: "Kindly note that the course you have applied for does not appear on our priority field of study list; awards will only be granted to applicants studying towards priority fields of studies."”
The ministry's executive director Erastus Haitengelasaidschools asking more for an application form should be reported to their circuit inspector or regional directors
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“The ministry's executive director Erastus Haitengela yesterday said schools asking more for an application form should be reported to their circuit inspector or the regional directors.”
Erastus Haitengelaexplained that NSFAFcontinues to process institutional invoices and advance payments
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“"The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) continues to process institutional invoices received since April 2026 for both tuition and non-tuition support. In addition, advance payments have already been made to institutions to facilitate student registration and academic participation. Payment processing remains ongoing, and NSFAF teams are working diligently to ensure that all legitimate payments are finalised as expediently as possible," explained Erastus Haitengela, the Education Ministry's Executive Director.”
Executive director Erastus Haitengelainstructedinstitutions to allow NSFAF students to sit for examinations and receive results
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“In a letter dated 29 May and addressed to vice-chancellors, heads of institutions and TVET centre managers, executive director Erastus Haitengela instructed institutions to allow both continuing beneficiaries and newly approved students to sit for examinations and receive their results.”
Executive director of education Erastus Haitengelasaysa committee is expected to submit a detailed report with recommendations to the education ministers of both countries by July
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“Executive director of education Erastus Haitengela says a committee is expected to submit a detailed report with recommendations to the education ministers of both countries by July this year.”
Erastus Haitengelasaysthe act allows school leadership to take measures in pupils' and school's best interests
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“The ministry's executive director, Erastus Haitengela, says the act allows school leadership to take measures that are in the best interests of the pupils and the school environment.”
Erastus Haitengelasaysthe ban was a consensus reached during engagements with parents, not unilateral
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“It is important to note that this was not a unilateral decision by the school principal, but rather a consensus reached during engagements with parents to ensure uniformity and stakeholder support.”
Erastus Haitengelatold The Namibianministry will review the curriculum as part of established review cycle
Source
“Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture executive director Erastus Haitengela told The Namibian on Friday that the ministry will review the curriculum as part of the established review cycle.”
The Swapo Party Youth League has welcomed the Ministry of Education's new standardised admission point scale for higher education but wants its implementation delayed by a year from 2027 to allow pupils, teachers and schools more time to adjust. The system will calculate admission points using a pupil's best five subjects with English compulsory and applies to multiple qualifications including Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate and International Baccalaureate.
The Swapo Party Youth League has welcomed the Ministry of Education's new standardised admission point scale for higher education but wants its implementation delayed by a year from 2027 to allow pupils, teachers and schools more time to adjust. The system will calculate admission points using a pupil's best five subjects with English compulsory and applies to multiple qualifications including Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate and International Baccalaureate.
Pupils from rural areas make up about 66% of teenage pregnancies in Namibia, and rural young mothers are significantly less likely to return to school than their urban peers, according to a Ministry of Education report. Pupil pregnancy rates declined from 1.97% in 2022 to 1.34% in 2024, while the proportion of pupil mothers returning to school rose to 53.9% in 2024.
The Central Procurement Board of Namibia has signed a N$268.7 million contract with Art Construction CC to transform Muzii Combined School in the Zambezi Region through embankment elevation and ground raising, aimed at protecting the school from recurring floods and improving learning conditions.
The Central Procurement Board says it will cost N$268.7 million to elevate the grounds of the flood-affected Muzii Combined School in the Zambezi region over three years. The contract was awarded to Art Construction CC and will include elevated platforms, embankment protection, hostel blocks, and other school infrastructure to improve resilience and safety.
Private caterer Pamo Trading Enterprises is challenging a N$540-million hostel food tender awarded to the Namibia Training Authority for supplying food to 239 government school hostels accommodating 77,281 pupils nationwide. The company filed an application at the Windhoek High Court on 20 July seeking to have the award set aside and any procurement contracts declared null and void.
Namibia has begun implementing its National Work-Integrated Learning Policy to bridge the gap between classroom learning and workplace skills, aiming to improve graduate employability. The implementation phase was launched during a two-day national working session in Okahandja, bringing together education institutions, employers, and state agencies to establish coordination mechanisms and monitoring systems for 2026/27.
The education ministry sought an exemption from finance to appoint the Namibia Training Authority to supply food to government school hostels outside open competitive bidding, citing the need to reduce litigation risks and ensure food security after prolonged court cases. The interim arrangement is budgeted at just over N$90 million per month for six months pending resolution of a Supreme Court case.
Beki-Kumata fishing company has completed two hostel blocks at Cocoma Primary School in Kavango East but says they cannot be occupied until the Ministry of Education completes ablution facilities. The company allocated N$350,000 towards the hostel construction.
The Ministry of Education has urged the public to report higher education institutions operating without registration or accreditation, warning that qualifications from unregistered and unaccredited institutions may not be accepted by employers or other learning institutions. The ministry advises prospective students to verify a college or university's registration with the NCHE or NTA before enrolling and to check that their course is accredited with the NQA before making payments.
More than 200 Namibian students accepted into medical and health-related programmes abroad had their NSFAF funding applications rejected on grounds that these fields do not appear on the agency's priority list. An affected student said the policy shift was not formally communicated beforehand and contradicts the historical treatment of medical fields as priority.
Education directors have called for the N$10 school admission application fee to be made optional, warning that some parents may struggle to afford it despite the Ministry of Education permitting schools to charge up to N$10 to cover administrative costs.
Newly appointed National Arts Council of Namibia chairperson Lot Ndamanomhata aims to increase the creative sector's contribution to GDP from 1.5% to 3% under the sixth National Development Plan, citing improvements in the industry's coordination and citing 327 local film productions between 2022 and 2024 that generated an average of N$122.5 million in spending and created over 2,400 jobs. He acknowledged that policy, infrastructure, and financial deficits continue to constrain the sector, with funding remaining the most pressing challenge as most creative projects are self-financed.
The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund is processing institutional invoices since April 2026 for tuition and non-tuition support, with advance payments already made to institutions. Non-tuition fee payments will now be processed weekly starting the second week of June 2026.
The Ministry of Education has directed higher education institutions to allow NSFAF-funded students to write examinations and access results while funding payments are being finalised. The ministry is processing about 100,000 student funding records; delays stem from a high volume of applications, implementation of a new tertiary education funding model, and NSFAF integration.
A joint committee is drafting a strategy to revive the Loudima Institute for Technical and Vocational Training in the Republic of the Congo by July. The institute, which trained exiled Namibians during the liberation struggle and provided technical training in the 1980s, was suspended in 2021 due to poor living conditions and infrastructure challenges.
The Ministry of Education says the Basic Education Act allows individual schools to set their own rules, backing Leevi Hakusembe Secondary School's ban on pupils bringing food to hostels. The school cited low dining hall turnout and food waste, though parents have complained their children report hunger and say hostel meals are insufficient.
Five years after its rollout, Namibia's Advanced Subsidiary curriculum will undergo review as the percentage of candidates graded in at least three subjects fell to 70.30% in 2025 from a 2021 peak of 76.00%. The Ministry of Education cited performance data, monitoring visits, and examination analysis as informing potential revisions.
The government has cancelled a restricted bidding process for school hostel food procurement and extended costly interim emergency contracts for six months to avoid disruptions while a new tender is finalised. The extension follows legal procedures linked to the procurement process, though stakeholders raise concerns about transparency and the impact on vulnerable hostel pupils.
Oshanamutango Primary School in Olukonda constituency has remained closed since 2018 after enrolment fell below the Ministry of Education's minimum requirement of 50 learners. Community leaders have proposed repurposing the school infrastructure for a vocational training centre or police station, pending approval from regional authorities.
The Ministry of Education has instructed private schools to operate only within their approved grades and programmes, following reports that Eileen Private School in Kavango East offered Grade 10 classes without authorisation. The school has been formally instructed to discontinue the grade and the ministry says it will continue monitoring to ensure compliance with the Education Act.
The Ministry of Education has issued an urgent directive requiring private schools offering the IEB curriculum to register Grade 12 learners with recognised examining bodies, as the IEB International Secondary Certificate is not recognised by the Namibia Qualifications Authority and learners risk denial of university admission.
The education ministry is shifting focus toward inclusive education by integrating pupils with disabilities into mainstream schools rather than relying solely on special schools, citing improved access to education and proximity to family support. The move faces infrastructure and specialist training challenges, though the ministry plans feasibility studies and expanded facilities while disability advocates welcome the approach but emphasize the need for adequate support, smaller classes, and anti-bullying policies.
The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture has paid an estimated N$27.5 million in rental fees over 25 months for a Windhoek office building owned by Erastus Shapumba that remains unoccupied since the lease was signed in December 2023. The Works and Transport Minister confirmed the government cannot easily terminate the contract despite ongoing construction delays and a subsequent ministry merger in March 2025 that contributed to the delayed relocation.
The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture has announced the revival of the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) this year, following a six-year pause. The ministry aims to support the local music industry, encourage emerging artists, and reinforce music's role in nation-building and cultural identity.
The Ministry of Education announced the official release of Namibia's 2025 national senior secondary examination results (NSSCO and NSSCAS). The executive director commended learners, teachers, and parents for their efforts and encouraged all stakeholders to support learners' continued academic progress and future development.
The Ministry of Education has clarified that the Cabinet has not approved a national pathway allowing Grade 9 learners to progress directly through TVET to obtain university-level and doctoral qualifications. Grade 9 learners must first complete foundational skills training at community skills development centres before being considered for TVET programmes.
The Ministry of Education has clarified that government has already provided funds to cover basic stationery items for all learners, and parents must not be forced to purchase these core materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and erasers. Schools may discuss supplementary items beyond the government-supplied minimum in consultation with parents, but any requests for core stationery are contrary to ministry guidelines.
Namibia's education ministry dismissed claims that Grade 9 learners can progress through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training system to obtain doctoral degrees, describing the assertion as misleading. The ministry clarified that Cabinet has not approved any pathway allowing direct progression from Grade 9 to university-level qualifications, and that current entry to TVET requires NSSCO (Grade 11) or Grade 12 qualifications.
The education ministry has warned that staff members who solicit or accept bribes, gifts, or money in exchange for learner placement will face serious disciplinary action, and may face criminal charges. The ministry also reaffirmed that learner admission must be transparent and based on approved procedures, with no screening tests, compulsory tuition fees, or admission fees allowed at government schools.