Fewer full-time Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate candidates have qualified for higher learning institutions compared to last year.
This year, there are only 5,812 candidates with 25 or more points.
The Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka, expressed disappointment during the announcement of the National Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary and Advanced Subsidiary level results.
About 38,019 candidates were registered for full-time Ordinary Level examinations, while 32,552 candidates sat for part-time Ordinary Level examinations.
8,624 candidates sat for the Advanced Subsidiary Level on a full-time basis, while 591 sat for it on a part-time basis.
The minister said the number of full-time candidates registered for the 2022 national examination shows a significant drop, with 8,958 compared to 2021.
"There is a greater chance that the 2022 candidate results will bear the scars of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, we are proud of our candidates' commitment in their pursuance to become educated, productive, and responsible citizens of Namibia."
The percentage of candidates graded dropped in biology, however, learners in physics performed better with an improvement of 1.4%, and biology improved throughout all grades, while the national performance in commercial subjects improved drastically, mainly across the grade in business studies, economics, and entrepreneurship.
"From NSSCO full-time candidates, 5812 obtained 25 points in five subjects or above and might qualify for entry into institutions of higher learning. Here I am only referring to institutions that require 25 points to qualify for entry, but there are other institutions that require fewer points. NSSCAS full-time and part-time candidates might qualify at institutions of higher learning based on the combination of their NSSCAS results and NSSCO results of the previous year."
Brittany Van Rooyen of Windhoek Gymnasium Private School is the top-performing candidate on the ordinary level in six subjects, followed by Titus Shatimwene of Rukonga Vission School and Demarscho Mouton of Windhoek High School.
Topping the best performance in the three best subjects on the advance subsidiary level is Max Feilmeier from Delta Secondary School, followed by Walvis Bay Private School's Hendrik Smit and Taro Samuelsom from the Windhoek Gymnasium Private School.
Ruukonga Vision School was ranked the top-performing public school, followed by Onawa Senior Secondary School and Delta Secondary School in third place.
Canisianum Roman Catholic School was ranked the top-performing private school, followed by Oshigambo Secondary School and St. Boniface College in third place.