Nanso unhappy with Cosdec arrangement

THE Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) is requesting the Ministry of Education to reconsider its decision of not allowing Grade 10 pupils with 13 points and lower to register with the Namibia College of Open Learning (Namcol).

A press statement released by the Ministry of Education last week states that there are 3 492 pupils who obtained between zero and 13 points for their six subjects.It says these pupils’ performance in their Grade 10 examinations is unacceptable and urges them to consider vocation training, specifically at Community Skills Development Centres (Cosdecs) which have space for 2 000 students this year.According to Nanso’s Secretary for Information and Publicity, Milinga Matengu, Nanso wants these pupils to register with Namcol because it has proven over the years that it can help pupils improve poor symbols in Grade 10 as well as Grade 12.’They upgrade their symbols from G symbol to B and even A symbols. Namcol’s results are there for anyone to see since those who went through it are responsible citizens now. They are working in the public as well as the private sector and are participating in the economic development of our country,’ he said.’They are referring our members to the so-called Cosdecs that don’t have the proven track record that Namcol has,’ he said. ‘We don’t even know whether they are recognised by the Namibian Qualifications Authority (NQA) or not. We don’t even have statistics concerning Cosdecs,’ he said. ‘When it come to voting they [the politicians] don’t tell us that we must not come to vote because we failed Grade 10.’He also questioned wether there are enough Cosdec centres throughout the country to serve to number of pupils the ministry wants to send there.There are Cosdec centres at Swakopmund, Gobabis, Rundu, Opuwo, Tsumeb, Otjiwarongo, Ondangwa and Lüderitz. Cosdecs offer basic certificates in joinery and cabinet making, welding and fabrication, office administration and computing, bricklaying and plastering, food production and serving, plumbing and pipefitting and building maintenance and renovations. Cosdecs target and market their courses mainly for the unemployed youth and school dropouts.They fall under the Community Skills Development Federation (Cosdef) that is funded by the Ministry of Education through the Namibia Training Authority (NTA).The ministry said pupils under the age of 17 can go back to school and repeat Grade 10 while those older than 17 who have obtained 14 to 22 marks are advised to register with Namcol to improve their marks.

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