Fourteen-year-old Ndinelago Namgongo from Ondangwa in the Oshana region may soon begin studying pharmacy.
She passed the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) on the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in May, and will be able to study at tertiary level if she passes three more subjects in October.
Namgongo is tutored at home by Brian Moyo, an academic coach specialising in science.
Moyo made history last year after instructing his daughter, Tariro Moyo, through the same process.
Tariro started studying medicine abroad at the age of 13.
Namgongo wrote some of her final exams in May at Walvis Bay’s International School, and became the second-youngest Namibian to ever take the examinations, earning B symbols in both mathematics and chemistry.
She says her remaining subjects will be a walk in the park.
Namgongo’s journey with Moyo began in February this year when her father approached Moyo.
Moyo says he does not use textbooks.
“This enables me to complete the entire chemistry syllabus in a maximum of 10 days and the math syllabus in a maximum of a week,” he says.
Through this technique, Namgongo easily passed the challenging Cambridge exams, he says.
Moyo says geniuses are not impossible to create.
“I am so happy, so overwhelmed. To think I was supposed to go through three more years of high school, and out of the blue, this coach came and steadily encouraged me that I could pull it off in just three months with his mentorship.
“I had my doubts, but now that I’ve seen the results, I feel very relieved,” Namgongo says.
She says she could have performed better, but she is happy with her results.
The director of the National Institute for Educational Development, Patrick Simalumba, previously told The Namibian Cambridge’s IGCSE level is equal to the Namibia Senior Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) qualification, which are both completed in two years.
The IGCSE level is designed for pupils aged 14 to 16 internationally.
“This is why the NSSCO since 2020 is completed in Grade 11 in the reformed curriculum.
“Previously, it was completed in Grade 12,” Simalumba says, adding there is nothing wrong with a gifted child receiving additional learning support.
He says the Namibian education system should cater to gifted pupils.
“IGCSE prepares pupils for further studies at universities around the world. But some degree programmes require at least three to four subjects at AS or A level.”
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