The Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka, has implored education staff to efficiently utilise funds for quality education.

Nghipondoka was speaking at the finalisation and validation of annual work plans for the financial year 2024–25.

Reflecting on the previous year, Nghipondoka highlighted the importance of efficiency in implementing programmes despite an 85% performance improvement.

The minister says that when schools are allocated funds for UPEs, stationaries, and the execution of duties, they should be used efficiently. 

252 students graduated from the School of Education at the University of Namibia (UNAM) in Windhoek.

The graduates received diplomas and degrees in lifelong learning, community education, educational management and leadership, and junior primary education.

The graduates were encouraged to be job creators instead of job seekers.

UNAM's Acting Chancellor, Professor Frednard Gideon, urged the graduates to help solve challenges such as factors that prevent children from accessing quality education, poverty, gender disparity, and disability.

President Hage Geingob has appealed to all stakeholders in education to refrain from blaming one another for the dismal final-year examination results.

Dr. Geingob says everyone agrees that the recently-released examination results are nothing for the country to take pride in but says the focus should now be on finding common solutions.

The Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka, says factors such as resource shortages and COVID-19 disruptions have affected the finalization of the curriculum reform process, ultimately contributing to the outcome of last year's examination results.

Despite the shortcomings noted, she says successes were recorded.

The minister spoke ahead of the launch of the academic school year, which is tomorrow.

President Hage Geingob has expressed disappointment with the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary and Advanced Subsidiary Level results released by the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture.

This was confirmed by Presidential Press Secretary Dr. Alfredo Hengari.

Dr. Hengari says the President has thus requested a report from the Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka, to explain what went wrong.

The report will be tabled before Cabinet, whereupon the government will decide on the next course of action.

The Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka, says the government is pursuing various funding models to address the backlog in classrooms nationwide.

Speaking at the handover of the upgraded Linus Shashipapo Secondary School in the Kavango East's Ndiyona, Nghipondoka said the country has a backlog of about 4500 classrooms.

She said more than a thousand hostel blocks are needed to accommodate learners in the proximity of schools.