Swapo member of parliament Willem Amutenya has urged education minister Sanet Steenkamp to review the National Youth Service’s (NYS) admission requirements, arguing that they unfairly exclude those the programme was created to assist.
In a letter dated 29 July, Amutenya says the requirements for the 17th voluntary national service training programme appear inconsistent with the objectives of the National Youth Service Act.
The recruitment notice requires applicants to have Grade 11 or Grade 12 advanced subsidiary qualifications with at least 25 points in six subjects, while a diploma or degree is considered an added advantage. Applicants must also be between the ages of 16 and 30.
Amutenya says the academic threshold resembles university admission requirements rather than those of a programme intended to equip disadvantaged youth with life skills, vocational exposure and discipline.
“Young people who already meet the academic criteria or hold tertiary qualifications have greater opportunities to pursue higher education, internships or vocational training, while those who struggled academically often need NYS opportunities the most,” he says.
The lawmaker also questions the exclusion of unemployed Namibians between ages 30 and 35, saying the age limit ignores the country’s socioeconomic realities and undermines efforts to tackle youth unemployment.
Amutenya calls on the ministry to engage the NYS board to broaden access for disadvantaged youth regardless of academic performance and extend the upper age limit to 35 years.
He says the NYS should remain a platform for inclusion, nation-building and skills development that prioritises vulnerable young Namibians rather than those already positioned to access education and employment opportunities.
