Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture
Also known as: Ministry of Education · The Ministry of Education
Government ministry that oversees school operations, education policy, student funding, curriculum standards, and cultural heritage repatriation in Namibia.
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December 2025
The Namibian
Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Cultureis part ofjoint initiative for Alte Feste restoration with Namibia Art, Craft and Design Centre
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“The restoration forms part of a joint initiative between the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture and the Namibia Art, Craft and Design Centre, which will work alongside several partners to breathe new life into the 134-year-old building.”
Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culturewill launchnational consultations on draft Creative Industries Strategy 2025-2030 on Monday
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“The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture will launch national consultations on the draft strategy on Monday.”
Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culturecollaborates withNamibia Qualifications Authority on quality education
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“To partners such as the Namibia Qualifications Authority and the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, your ongoing collaboration ensures quality education that aligns with national priorities and international standards.”
Jo-Ann Manuel, director of sportsaid the Nedbank Desert Dash event had become an iconic eventremarkable achievement requiring hard work, innovation, dedication, and passion
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“Speaking at the launch, the director of sport in the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Jo-Ann Manuel, said the Nedbank Desert Dash event had become an iconic event.”
Ministry of Educationlast reviewedits file plan in 2018
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“The ministry of education's file plan was last reviewed in 2018 and no longer fully reflects the current realities of schools and other institutions.”
The ministrysaysthe week-long engagement covering four regions provided local coaches with a direct platform to exchange views with the ministry's leadership
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“The ministry says the week-long engagement covering four regions provided local coaches with a direct platform to exchange views with the ministry's leadership.”
The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the Central Procurement Board and Ministry of Education, upholding a High Court decision that set aside a multimillion-dollar tender for supplying food to government school hostels. The court found the procurement process unlawful because the board continued proceedings after the 180-day bid validity period had expired.
The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the Central Procurement Board and Ministry of Education, upholding a High Court decision that set aside a multimillion-dollar tender for supplying food to government school hostels. The court found the procurement process unlawful because the board continued proceedings after the 180-day bid validity period had expired.
The Supreme Court upheld a High Court judgment canceling a multimillion-dollar school hostel food supply tender for government schools across Namibia's 14 regions after the Central Procurement Board and Ministry of Education appealed the decision. The tender was found to have irregularities, including the exclusion of a bidder for failing to provide an English translation of an Afrikaans-language supporting document.
The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund has reopened its 2026 online application process for a third and final phase from 7 September to 7 October, giving eligible students another opportunity to apply for financial assistance for the 2026 academic year.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah directed the education ministry to use alternative procurement for a N$540-million school hostel food tender, with the Namibia Training Authority as lead service provider and other public entities, sparking court action from companies questioning the non-public tendering process.
The Teachers Union of Namibia has raised concerns that tribal favouritism in promotions has resulted in unequal representation in senior teaching positions in some regions. A National Council standing committee acknowledged the concerns but cautioned that such claims should be supported by statistics, and stressed the need to balance inclusivity and diversity with merit and good performance.
The Prime Minister announced N$40 million in government funding to purchase grains directly from local millers through the Agricultural Marketing and Trading Agency, addressing post-harvest losses and market access challenges faced by Namibian grain farmers.
Gold medalist Ananias Shikongo was disqualified from the Commonwealth Games after Namibia's Paralympic committee failed to secure a valid competition licence for him amid an internal leadership dispute. No Namibian Paralympic athlete has been licensed since 1 January, following the committee's failure to pay fees to the International Paralympic Committee and resolve internal disputes over athlete registration.
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 Ministry of Education has launched the Norms and Standards Framework for Schools and the National Minimum Standards for the Operation of Hostels in Namibia. The new framework replaces the long-standing National Standards and Performance Indicators and is designed to address changing global conditions, including the influence of artificial intelligence.
Minister Sanet Steenkamp apologised for delays in returning Namibian ancestral and mortal remains from South Africa, citing circumstances beyond the ministry's control that affected flight arrangements. Namibia received the remains of two former political prisoners and the ancestral remains of 84 people, along with casts and cultural heritage materials.
Research by UNAM found that more Namibian boys than girls repeat grades and leave school early, while women have made up the majority of tertiary students and graduates for over three decades. Male learners had a promotion rate of 75.1% versus 78.4% for females, a repetition rate of 18.5% versus 14.7%, and a school-leaving rate of 6.3% versus 4.9%.
The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Communication Technology signed an MoU to develop Namibia's film and creative sector through the Namibia Content Creation Plan, which includes funding for a National Soap Opera, a television series, and regional short films, with N$17.5 million allocated for these productions and an estimated 470 direct employment opportunities.
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 Namibia National Olympic Committee has outlined a plan to identify and develop athletes with Olympic potential, targeting at least 15 athletes for the next Olympics. The NNOC will support strategic national federations and expand talent identification efforts in partnership with the Namibia Sports Commission and Ministry of Education.
The Archery Association of Namibia says its athletes have always been self-funded when travelling to international tournaments. The AAN vice president notes that suspended government grants have made distant competitions harder to attend due to flight and accommodation costs, causing reduced participation.
An opinion piece argues that Namibia's education curriculum, last substantially reformed in the 2000s, is outdated and no longer reflects the country's evolving economy, technology, and societal changes since independence. The author contends that education must evolve with society to prepare children for a world shaped by digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and global competition.
The Namibia National Students Organisation is seeking N$445,000 to fund its 19th National Students Congress scheduled for 20 to 23 August at Eheke Senior Secondary School after the Ministry of Education cut government funding. About 300 delegates from all 14 regions are expected to attend.
A Namibian delegation including family representatives, former political prisoners, traditional leaders and government officials performed customary rituals and verification processes in Cape Town on Wednesday ahead of the exhumation and repatriation of the remains of Simon Niilenge and Festus Nehale. The remains are expected to be exhumed before their planned reburial in Namibia on 24 August.
The Ministry of Education, in partnership with UNICEF, has officially launched the Namibia Learning Passport, a digital learning platform aimed at expanding access to educational resources, particularly for young people in rural, remote and underserved communities with limited connectivity.
On International Youth Day, young people and youth advocates say Namibia must move beyond policy promises and consultations to deliver concrete results. A Students Union of Namibia leader cited unfulfilled pledges on sport infrastructure, while a youth ministry officer noted that consultation without actual policy change does not constitute meaningful youth participation.
The Ministry of Education has closed Ebenezer Royal Primary School in Omuthiya after discovering it was operating without registration. The closure follows allegations of sexual abuse involving hostel learners; the school's former administrator faces seven counts of rape allegedly involving girls aged between five and ten during 2025 and 2026.
The Namibia Sport Commission issued a public apology for presenting dummy cheques to boxing athletes returning with medals from the 2026 Commonwealth Games, saying the cheques were incorrectly printed with International Olympic Committee and NNOC artwork instead of approved Ministry artwork.
The Namibia Sport Commission has apologised for incorrectly branded dummy cheques presented to boxing medallists during the Commonwealth Games team homecoming ceremony, with the cheques mistakenly printed using IOC and NNOC branding instead of the approved Ministry branding. The commission assured the public that the printing error will not affect the athletes' monetary rewards.
The National Council's health committee is conducting regional consultations on a motion to investigate hubbly bubbly and other harmful substances amid concerns over their use among school pupils and young people. The committee chairperson cited depression, neglect at home, and peer pressure as main drivers, and noted that substance abuse has contributed to school dropouts.
The Cabinet has approved a new national policy to regulate prospecting and mining in protected areas and other environmentally sensitive zones, balancing mineral development with environmental conservation. Namibia has also been authorised to sign the statute of the African Mineral Development Centre, enabling participation in the African Union agency dedicated to sustainable mineral development.
A 27-year-old Namibian man shares his story of vaping addiction that began during Covid-19 lockdown and progressed to repeated hospital admissions and a serious lung condition, despite warnings from doctors about the dangers, particularly given his pre-existing asthma.
Parents and community members at Ernst Jager Combined School in the ||Kharas region have raised alarm over blocked toilets and overflowing sewerage, saying pupils have been exposed to health risks since May. The Ministry of Education confirmed awareness of the matter and said it is addressing it through its regional directorate.
Walvis Bay's mayor convened an urgent meeting with health and education officials to address a Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak at several local schools. Health ministry officials clarified that HFMD is a mild, self-limiting viral infection comparable to chickenpox, with most patients recovering within seven days, and stressed that serious complications are rare.
QKR Namibia Navachab Gold Mine has increased its sponsorship of the Navachab Half Marathon to N$1.5 million for the event's 12th edition, with prize money allocation rising from N$345,000 in 2025 to N$530,000 this year. The mine aims to develop the race into an international competition featuring athletes from Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa.
The Ministry of Education is reviewing school safety policies and using the gazette process to formally prohibit vaping and other items in schools, responding to increasing reports of learners using vaping products.