Namibia

Experts situated in Namibia

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Namibia in a nutshell

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia (Afrikaans: Republiek van Namibië, German: Republik Namibia), is a country in Southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the east, and South Africa to the south and east.

It has been given many names: the land of contrasts, the land God made in anger, the ageless land. For many years it was known only as South West Africa, but it adopted the name Namibia, after the Namib Desert.

It gained independence from South Africa in 1990.

Its population is just over 2 million. It is the second least densely populated country in the world, after Mongolia.

Its capital and largest city is Windhoek (German: Windhuk).

Namibia is a member state of the United Nations (UN), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), the Commonwealth of Nations and many other international organisations.

The official language is English. Until 1990, German and Afrikaans were also official languages. Long before Namibia's independence from South Africa, it had been decided that the country would become officially monolingual, consciously choosing this approach in contrast to that of its neighbour. Therefore, English became the sole official language of Namibia. Afrikaans, German, and Oshiwambo became recognised regional languages.

Source : http://www.cia.gov

Education in Namibia

Namibia has compulsory free education for 10 years between the ages of 6 and 16 with 7 years of Primary education and 5 years of secondary education.

Schools in Namibia

In 1998, there were 400,325 Namibian students in primary school, about 80% of those eligible, and 115,237 students in secondary schools, about 34% of those eligible. The pupil-teacher ratio in 1999 was estimated at 32:1, with about 8% of the GDP being spent on education.[42]

Most schools in Namibia are state-run, however, there are a few private and semi-private schools that serve the country's education system. Among these are St. Pauls College, Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool, Deutsche Höhere Privat Schule and Windhoek Gymnasium. Click here for an incomplete list of schools in Namibia.

Namibia' Ministry of Education is, in part, supported by the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) in Okahandja. NIED is responsible for the Nation's curriculum development, educational research, and professional development of teachers.

• Pre-primary education

This phase was transferred from the Ministry of Education to local communities under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Regional, Local Government and Housing in 1995. With the creation of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Welfare in 2000, pre-primary education and broader aspects of early childhood development catering for the under 6 years-old age group were assigned to the new Ministry.

• Primary education

This phase consists of the Lower Primary (Grades 1 - 4) and Upper Primary (Grades 5 – 7). By the year 2000, there were 998 primary schools, of which, 952 were government schools and the rest were private schools. These schools catered for a total of 406,623 learners at this phase. The policy of continuous assessment based on a set of competencies that learners are expected to acquire, provides the basis for the promotion of learners from one grade level to the other. A national Grade 7 examination in Maths, English and Science was introduced for the first time in 2000, to help monitor learner acquisition of the basic competencies at the end of the primary phase.

• Secondary education

The secondary phase consists of Junior Secondary, catering for Grades 8 – 10 and the Senior Secondary school, which caters for Grades 11 and 12. There were 129 secondary schools in the year 2000, enrolling 132,698 learners. Learners write the Junior Secondary examinations at the end of Grade 10 and the Senior Secondary School "International General Certificate of Secondary Education" and the "Higher International General Certificate of Secondary Education" (IGCSE/HIGCSE) examinations at the end of Grade 12. (1)

Further and Higher education

There are four Teacher Training Colleges, three Colleges of Agriculture, a Police Training College, a Polytechnic at university standard, and a National University.

Universities in Namibia

There seems to be just one university in Namibia, the University of Namibia (http://www.unam.na). This has a Centre for External Studies, which ensures that quality higher educations is accessible to the nation through the provision of distance and open learning programmes. CES collaborates with faculties and other University Centres to offer formal programmes leading to degrees, diplomas and certificates as well as non-formal programmes. It operates through three departments of: Materials Development and Instructional Design; Student Support; and the Department of Continuing Education.

"The Centre offers the following formal qualifications: Bachelor of Nursing Science Degree (Advanced Practice), Bachelor of Accounting, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Education, Specialised Diploma in Education (Home Economics or Fashion and Fabrics), Specialised Diploma in Educational Management and Leadership, Diploma in Adult Education and Community Development, Diploma in HIV/AIDS Counselling and Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Certificate in Accounting and Auditing, Certificate in HIV/AIDS Counselling, Certificate in Mid-level Management and Certificate in Taxation and Management."

CES is also responsible for the management of eight University Regional Centres and manages a large office at the Northern Campus in Oshakati. Regional activities and services are supported by regional administrative and student support officers.

Polytechnics in Namibia

There is one university-standard polytechnic.

Administration and finance

Schools

A single ministry of education was created at independence by unifying the previous racial and ethnically based education authorities. The single ministry of basic education has its head quarters in Windhoek. The Permanent Secretary is the administrative head of the ministry assisted by a deputy Permanent Secretary and two Under Secretaries. In 1995 the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training Science and Technology (MHEVTST) was created thus making a clear separation between basic, and higher education. The administration of the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture (MBESC) is carried out through the department of Formal Education programmes and the department of Culture and Lifelong Learning, which are headed by the two Under Secretaries.

The whole country was originally divided into 7 educational regions which at the end of 2002 were sub divided into 13 regions headed by Regional Directors of Education, in compliance with the central government policy of decentralising central government functions to the 13 political/administrative regions. While the Ministry is overall responsible for the running of the education system, it is the regional education offices that shoulder the bulk of the implementation of educational programmes on a day to day basis by working closely with schools and communities in their respective regions. The decentralisation of the Ministry's administrative structures was in compliance with the central government policy to devolve some functions of line Ministries to the 13 national administrative regions. (1)

Post-secondary

In 1995, the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, Science and Technology was created, amking a clear administrative separation between basic and higher education. (3)

Quality assurance

Post-secondary

The national online distance learning policy directs NOLNet (Namibian Open Learning Network Trust) and individual providers to work with the NCHE in the development of appropriate quality assurance mechanisms for tertiary level higher education by ODL means. These mechanisms should be extended through NOLNet to cover non-tertiary level ODL provision as well. Consumer protection against disreputable ODL providers is also addressed and specific strategies are outlined in the policy, i.e. formal regulation of the activities of ODL providers through relevant Quality Assurance bodies and the provision of advice to would-be learners on the standing of overseas providers offering study programmes to learners in Namibia. (2)

ICT in education initiatives

Virtual initiatives in post-secondary and further education

• Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning, Polytechnic of Namibia We serve a broad profile of students. Many of our students come from the Windhoek area and are taking classes by distance education mode because it allows them to take courses while maintaining their employment and continuing their family responsibilities. Other students are from rural areas where they may not have easy access to learning resources. All students are valued and we support their desire to learn through decentralised support services, offered at Regional Centres. http://www.polytechnic.edu.na/centres/coll/coll.php

• Centre for External Studies, University of Namibia The Centre for External Studies strives to become the leading open and distance-learning centre in the country and beyond by enabling people to achieve their full potential through accessible, innovative and flexible learning. Its mission is to provide accessible quality higher education and to create opportunities for professional development to adult members of the community by providing open learning through distance and continuing education programmes. CES caters for the educational needs of people who, for a variety of reasons, cannot come full-time to any of the University campuses to further their studies. The Centre operates through three departments: the Department of Materials Development and Instructional Design, the Department of Student Support and the Department of Continuing Education. In fulfilling their duties all three departments are supported by the CES Student Administration unit. Moreover, the three departments collaborate with internal faculties of the University and outside partners in offering formal and non-formal programmes to external students by means of distance and open learning methods. In addition, CES manages the nine University regional centres to support its programmes and students. Furthermore, the University of Namibia recognised that successful learning through open and distance learning (ODL) requires collaboration with other ODL institutions in the country. As a result, CES is a partner in the Namibian Open Learning Network Trust (NOLNet), a publicly funded trust not for gain, charged with the responsibility of supporting open and distance-learning centres scattered throughout Namibia. As a partner in the NOLNet Trust CES students can make use of facilities of all NOLNet centres. http://www.unam.na/centres/ces/ces_index.html

• Namibian College of Open Learning The Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) is a state-supported educational institution, established by an act of parliament which provides study opportunities for adults and out-of-school youth. NAMCOL`s core activity has traditionally been its programme of Alternative Secondary Education (ASE), which enables those who cannot or do not wish to attend formal schools to study for either the Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC or Grade 10) or the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE or Grade 12). The College can trace its roots back to various continuing and distance education programmes that were available to Namibians before independence in 1990. Towards the end of 1994, these programmes were consolidated under a single directorate under the Ministry of Education. This can be regarded as the first step in NAMCOL`s transformation into an autonomous institution. In 1998, the College was established and took over responsibility of the programmes previously offered by the Ministry. Over the last few years NAMCOL has made a significant contribution to the development of the country's human resources. NAMCOL remains the largest educational institution in Namibia with over twenty six thousand (26 000). This is more than the combined total of all institutions of higher learning in Namibia. http://www.commonwealth-of-nations.org/Namibia/Organisation/Education/Government_Agencies/Namibian_College_of_Open_Learning_%28NAMCOL%29

• Over the last eight years, these publicly-funded ODL institutions have been working together with the Ministry

of Education to coordinate their activities through the establishment of a national trust, known as the Namibian Open Learning Network Trust (NOLNet). Since its establishment in July 2001, NOLNet has been striving to enhance opportunities for supported, independent learning for adults and young people through a framework of collaborative management of open learning centres in terms of a legal agreement between publicly-funded ODL institutions. NOLNet’s activities include institutional capacity-building; establishment and expansion of a national network of open learning centres; supporting elearning initiatives to supplement existing ODL print-based programmes; and the development of radio programmes and audio-visual material. (2) (P.1)

Lessons learnt

• Even though institutions have developed a strong ODL system in the country, it is only through policy that better programmes and services are developed. Thus, the policy development process presented an opportunity for ODL to receive the recognition it deserves, recognising that mechanisms of offering high quality and relevant ODL programmes had to be set at national level. This enables ODL institutions in the country to adhere to the quality criteria set and ensure that they are measured against the same criteria. Participants therefore wanted a policy that provides a regulatory framework for private and out of country ODL providers, because Namibia has a high number of degree milling and fly-by-night ODL institutions. (2)

References

1. Southern and Eastern African consortium for monitoring educational quality http://www.sacmeq.org/education-namibia.htm

2. National ODL Policy for Namibia http://wikieducator.org/images/c/c4/PID_350.pdf

3. National report on the development of eduaction in Namibia http://www.ibe.unesco.org/International/ICE47/English/Natreps/reports/namibia_fin.pdf

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