Primary Education

The Namibian education system has been evolving since the nation achieved independence, although the dream of equal education for all remains tantalizingly unreached. A program of pre-primary education is unrolling, and is hoped to be completed by 2013. Pupils spend their first 7 years at primary school from age 6, where they are promoted from grade to grade on the basis of competencies.

Middle Education

Secondary education takes place in Namibia in 2 phases, of which the first 3 years are spent in a middle school environment and culminate in the junior secondary school certificate examination. After that, students have a choice between continuing with an academic curriculum, or focusing on their working careers instead.

Secondary Education

The final 2 years of secondary school are optional and paid for, and this education is mainly available only in urban areas.  Should students wish to study at a university afterwards, then they must either pass their international general certificate of education moderated by Cambridge University, or their higher international general certificate of education that is marked there too.

Vocational Education

Namibian plumbing students

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.

Tertiary Education

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.^[12] 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.