Curriculum development, educational research, and professional development of school teachers is centrally organised by the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) in Okahandja.
Pre-Primary Education
The Namibian government introduced a three-year pre-primary education pilot programme in 2008. This programme was subsequently given a two-year extension and will thus run until 2013. It aims at giving children from poor backgrounds access to pre-primary education and is aimed at children between the ages of five and six. The programme requires the implementation of pre-primary education at primary schools. The progress on the pilot programme thus far:
Khomas Region 21 of the 67 primary schools have so far introduced pre-primary education.
ǁKaras Region 18 out of 38 primary schools have so far introduced pre-primary education.
24 pre-primary schools in the Caprivi Region have introduced pre-primary education while 27 of the 138 pre-primary schools in the Ohangwena Region have introduced pre-primary education.
Primary Education
Compulsory education starts at primary education level at an age of 6. Primary education consists of seven years from Grade 1 to Grade 7 to prepare children for secondary education. The Namibian Government introduced free primary education in 2013.
Secondary Education
Secondary education stretches over a period of 5 years from Grade 8 to Grade 12. Children are presented with a Junior Secondary School Certificate after successful completion of Grade 10.
After successful completion of Grade 12 learners are presented with a Namibia Senior Secondary Education Certificate. This certification can either be the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) or the Higher International General Certificate of Secondary Education (HIGCSE). IGCSE exam papers are set and marked in Namibia, but moderated by Cambridge. HIGCSE question papers are set, marked and moderated by the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Grade 12 cannot be failed but for learners that wish to pursue further studies they need to obtain a good grade as per the requirements of tertiary institution both locally or abroad. The Evaluation Scale for Grade 12 is:
IGCSE grades: A B C D E F G
Equivalent points: 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
HIGCSE grades: 1 2 3 4
Equivalent points: 10 9 8 7
Tertiary Education
Universities and Colleges
Namibia has two public tertiary institutions of general education, the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) and the University of Namibia (UNAM). At NUST admission is based on grade 12 certificate with a maximum of five qualifying subjects with a total score of 25 points or more and a E symbol or better in English. At the University of Namibia's basic requirement for entrance to undergraduate degree programmes is a Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) with a pass in five subjects with a total score of 25 points, on the UNAM evaluation scale, or more in not more than three examination sittings.
There are a number of specialised tertiary educational institutions such as the College of the Arts (Cota) in Windhoek, The University Centre for Studies in Namibia (TUCSIN) in Windhoek, Oshakati, Rundu, and Rehoboth, the Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (NAMFI) in Walvis Bay, and the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) in Arandis.
Vocational Education
The Namibian Training Authority (NTA) controls seven vocational centers and supports a number of other institutions like Namwater. They offer a range of courses for school leavers, including; Plumbing, Welding, Electrical general, Automotive electrical, Bricklaying, Cabinet making, Technical drawing, Dressmaking, Hospitality, Office management and Automotive mechanics.
Vocational students in Namibia are given a small amount of money from the government to assist them in attending Vocational Training Centers.