Task force on track to meet free tertiary education deadline – ministry

The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture says it is on track to meet the deadline to deliver a comprehensive roadmap to Cabinet for the finalisation of a national plan to implement free tertiary education.

This comes following the establishment of a national task force by the ministry last week.

The 23-member task force includes a wide range of education, finance, and policy experts from institutions such as the University of Namibia, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia Qualifications Authority, and Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).

While many questions remain around how the policy will be funded, education ministry executive director Erastus Haitengela says the task force is assessing potential financial models.

Although NSFAF is expected to play a key role, he says no official funding mechanisms have been confirmed.

“Those are the technicalities the task force will address. They’ll look at all funding possibilities and provide a recommendation to Cabinet,” he says.

Haitengela adds that the task force will engage broadly with stakeholders including student unions, parents and civil society to ensure a well-informed approach. Haitengela highlights the inclusivity of the process as key to ensuring its success and credibility.

“We’ll engage student bodies, non-governmental organisations, the public and everyone who has a stake in this. But first we had to put the task force in place and give them a framework to work from,” he says.

The executive director states that the task force will report to the ministry weekly, providing progress updates and flagging any policy directives or Cabinet level interventions that may be required. He adds that the ministry will monitor this closely to ensure accountability and transparency throughout the process.

Haitengela says the current focus is on public institutions as per the president’s speech in April, where she declared “fees must fall” at state-run universities.

“She referred specifically to public tertiary institutions,” he says, adding that further clarification and technical planning would come from the task force in the coming months.

The task force’s roadmap, once completed, will offer Namibia its first tangible blueprint for achieving free tertiary education – a policy shift hailed as one of the most significant in the country’s education history.

Haitengela emphasises that the task force has been given clear terms of reference, including deliverables on funding models, cost implications, sustainability and disbursement mechanisms.

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