Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) head of qualifications Joseph Amunyela has warned ministries not to evaluate qualifications on behalf of the NQA.
This comes as the government begins rolling out the national policy on qualifications standards in Namibia.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement at Nkurenkuru on Monday, Amunyela said qualification evaluation is the legal mandate of the NQA and must not be duplicated by ministries or institutions.
“Let’s have those qualifications evaluated by NQA. Don’t evaluate. . . on behalf of NQA,” he said.
He said the policy, approved by Cabinet in November 2025, will address long-standing inconsistencies in the education system.
Amunyela noted that graduates from different institutions with similar qualifications are often treated differently because of uneven standards and curriculum content.
“Teachers from the University of Namibia are not the same teachers seen from private colleges. It’s because there is inconsistency in how education is offered,” he said, adding that the new policy aims to “harmonise the curriculum standard to be one”.
He explained that the policy will standardise entry requirements and qualification design across institutions. Referring to recent disputes over Grade 11 and Grade 12 admissions, Amunyela said many Namibians were not properly informed about the purpose and level of the new school-leaving qualifications.
“With the qualification standards we are going to harmonise the entry requirements. All these institutions are going to use the same entry requirements,” he said, warning that institutions that ignore the standards will be held accountable and can even lose accreditation.
Amunyela said the policy will also align national qualifications with Southern African Development Community as well as continental and international frameworks, to ensure Namibian graduates are comparable and able to move within the region and beyond.
Kavango West governor Verna Sinimbo says the engagement shows the government’s commitment to implementing policies that are understood by citizens.
“This initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that policies are developed, approved, understood, embraced, and implemented by the people they are intended to serve,” she says.
She adds that the policy “will strengthen the quality and consistency of qualifications across the country, enhance confidence in our education and training system, improve graduate employability, and ensure that qualifications awarded in Namibia remain nationally relevant and internationally competitive”.
– Nampa
