29% of learners qualify for Advanced Subsidiary level in 2025

Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka announcing  the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary and Advanced Subsidiary Levels 2024 National Examinations results

By: Envaalde Matheus

The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has announced that 12, 031 candidates, representing 29.5% of learners, have qualified to advance to the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary level in 2025.

Education Minister Anna Nghipondoka made this statement on Tuesday, 14 January 2025 while announcing the results for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) and Advanced Subsidiary (AS) levels.

Nghipondoka described the results as an improvement in the education system, “offering optimism for the future”.

“This marks a notable increase from the 10 261 candidates, or 25.2%, who qualified in 2024 for AS level – reflecting a 4.3% improvement,” she said.

Nghipondoka said that a total of 40,757 full-time candidates registered for the NSSCO. She also highlighted a consistent increase in the number of candidates qualifying for the AS Level since its introduction in schools, reflecting steady progress in the education system.

“Overall, learners’ performance showed improvement in the Science subjects in 2024. We observed a higher percentage of learners achieving Grades A* to D in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Agricultural Science. Notably, Physics demonstrated remarkable progress, with 51.7% of learners achieving Grade D or better, compared to 37.1% in 2023,” she said.

Furthermore, Nghipondoka highlighted “a significant reduction in ungraded entries for Computer Science, from 6.1% in 2023 to 3.9% in 2024, marking a positive development. Nationally, the percentage of learners achieving Grades A* to D increased from 43.4% to 48.7%.”

She also reported notable improvements in the performance of TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) subjects.

“The percentage of learners achieving Grade A* rose from 2.6% in 2023 to 4.2%, while the cumulative percentage for Grade D and above increased from 58.1% to 63.0% in 2024. Additionally, graded entries improved from 92.9% to 94.9%, with fewer ungraded entries,” Nghipondoka stated.

Social justice activist Nafimane Hamukoshi pointed out that the statistics reveal “significant” systemic issues within Namibia’s education system.

“This low qualification rate reflects the lack of access to quality education and resources for many children, especially those from marginalized communities,” Hamukoshi said.

She emphasized that the data underscores an urgent need for educational reforms, particularly in infrastructure, to enable every child in Namibia to reach their full potential.

“Parents are likely to feel disheartened and powerless as they witness their children facing limited opportunities for higher education and future employment, especially when compared to the investments they’ve made in their children’s education,” she added.

Duminga Ndala, leader of the Landless People’s Movement Youth Command, echoed similar concerns, describing the results as a critical indicator of shortcomings in the education system.

“The results are catastrophic and do not reflect the significant investments being made in the sector,” Ndala remarked.

“A comprehensive overhaul of the education framework is urgently needed, as we are currently producing more failures than successes,” she concluded.