Members of Parliament recently debated the separation from and reintegration of the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) into the Ministry of Higher Education.
PDM MP Charmaine Tjirare questioned what initially led to NSFAF's separation from the ministry and wanted clarity on what motivated its reintegration.
She questioned whether the challenges encountered could have been solved without having NSFAF merge back into the ministry.
Swapo Party MP Phillipus Katamelo supported the bill, saying it promotes inclusivity, regional representation, and transparency.
Swapo's Dr. Becky Ndjoze-Ojo expressed concern over intended solutions that she said sometimes fail to address the identified problems.
She warned MPs to be careful when amending laws and to ensure that changes are introduced to benefit all Namibians, not just specific groups with set agendas.
Elma Dienda of PDM criticised the student funding process, claiming that it discriminates against students based on their parent's income.
She also questioned the appropriateness of entering into contracts with individuals under 21 years of age.
UDF MP Dudu Murorua raised concern about foreign bursaries, which he said appear to favour children of high-ranking officials, while students from less privileged backgrounds are excluded.
Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein, stressed that tertiary education should be free if progress is to be achieved in the education sector.
Swapo Party Youth League Leader, Ephraim Nekongo, supported Minister Schlettwein's idea of free tertiary education.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Natalia |Goagoses acknowledged that leaders sometimes hastily change systems that may not require fixing.
She also struggled to understand, she said, the necessity for certain migration processes within the education sector.
Another Swapo MP, Elifas Dingara, highlighted that learners from marginalised communities are often excluded from tertiary education even after achieving good marks.
Swapo MP Doreen Sioka called for anyone aware of students from marginalised communities who qualify for tertiary education to report these instances to the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare.
Finally, Herlinde Tjiveze of the Republican Party insisted that the bill address the issue of late registration fee payments.