Higher Education Sector in Namibia presented by Mr. Fillemon Z. Iyambo, from The International University of Management (IUM), Namibia.

1. HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR IN NAMIBIA
FILLEMON Z. IYAMBO
SENIOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICER
THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT(IUM)
JUNE 2016

2. BACKGROUND
• Higher education (HE) in Namibia started in 1980, when
the Academy of Tertiary Education was established.
• Prior to this, students pursuing higher education went
abroad, mainly to South Africa.
• In 1985 HE was divided in three: The Academy of
Tertiary Education, a university component, organised
around faculties of social science, nursing and teachers
training; Technikon Namibia (offering diplomas and
certificates) and The College for Out of School Training.
• Shortly after independence it was decided to divide
these three components into two independent higher
education institutions (HEIs): University of Namibia
(UNAM) and the Polytechnic of Namibia (PoN). In 1994
Technikon Namibia and The College for Out of School
Training merged to become PoN.

3. PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
1. University of Namibia (UNAM)
The University of Namibia (UNAM) was established by an Act of
Parliament on August 31, 1992 as recommended by a Commission on
Higher Education, has 12 campuses and over 19 000 students from
different continents.
2. Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST)
(Formerly known as Polytechnic of Namibia)
NUST has its roots in the establishment of the Academy for Tertiary
Education by Act No. 13 of 1980.
3. Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL)
Created by Act of Parliament (Act 1 of 1997) to provide learning
opportunities for adults and out-of-school youth. However, today, it also
offers HE qualifications.

4. PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
1.International University of Management (IUM)
2.LINGUA International Training College LINGUA
3.Headstart Montessori Teacher Training College -
HEADSTART
4.ILSA Independent College
5.Institute of Open Learning - IOL
6.Monitronic Success College - MONITRONIC
7.Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary -
NETS
8.Institute of Bankers - IOB
9.Triumphant College - TRIUMPHANT
10.ULTS-PAULINUM United Lutheran Theological
Seminary-Paulinum

5. The International University of Management
(IUM)
• Has its roots in the Institute of Higher Education
which was founded in 1994.
• Officially launched as the first private university
in Namibia on 26 October 2002.
• Currently, it has a student’s population of more
than 8 000.

6. Headstart Montessori Teacher Training College -
HEADSTART
Was established in 2011 as a demonstration project to
reflect the philosophy and teaching methods of the
Montessori Teacher Education Programme at
Headstart Montessori Teacher Training College.
LINGUA International Training College LINGUA
International Training College – Lingua (also known as
Lingua Consultancy Services) was established in 2001
with the aim to provide Language Training, other
Educational Training & Consultancy Services to both
the public (individuals, institutions, etc.) and the
Private Sector.

7. ILSA Independent College (ILSA)
Was founded in the 1965 and over the years has
established itself as a strong and well-recognised
brand in the areas of Corporate, Technical,
Vocational and Professional Business training.
Triumphant College
Was established in 2006. Its establishment, to a
great extent, derives from Namibia Vision 2030,
which identifies Education, Science and
Technology, as one of its driving forces in
achieving the national goals.

8. Monitronic Success College (MSC)
MSC is a privately owned Institute of Higher
Learning striving to provide quality education to
Namibians , SADC and International students of
different academic backgrounds without regards to
race, creed, color, sex, age, origin or physical
abilities, aiming to produce graduates that are
equipped with knowledge and skills that are
relevant to various sectors of the economy of the
Republic of Namibia in line with the national goals
of vision 2030 and other countries worldwide.
Institute For Open Learning (IOL)
IOL is Namibia`s largest distance learning institution
that have registered more than 40 000 students in
over 400 course offerings ranging from certificates,
diplomas to degree level qualifications since 2005.

9. Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary - NETS
Was established in 1991 by a merger of two theological
institutions: Windhoek Theological Seminary (WTS) and
Windhoek Evangelical Bible College (WEBCol). NETS serves
16 different local Christian denominations as well as para-
church organisations by training their people for ministry.
ULTS-PAULINUM United Lutheran Theological Seminary-
Paulinum
Since 1963 it has been a theological training institution for
pastors from two Lutheran churches, the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) and the Lutheran
Church in Namibia (ELCIN). However, Paulinum, today, is
open to students from other church denominations.
In 2007 it got the formal accreditation by the Namibian
Qualification Authority as a tertiary academic institution.

10. REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
There are two regulatory bodies that are responsible
for regulating HE in Namibia namely:
National Council for Higher Education (NCHE)
NCHE was established by Act of Parliament (Act No.
26 of 2003) to advise the government on issues
related to HE.
Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA)
This is a statutory body that was established by the
Act of Parliament Act No. 29 of 1996.

11. National Council for Higher Education (NCHE)
It is responsible for:
• Accrediting, in concurrence with NQA, programmes of
HE.
• Monitoring the quality assurance mechanisms of HEIs;
• Promoting access of students to HEIs;
• Undertaking such research studies with regard to HE.
• Advising the Minister of Education of its own accord or
at request of the Minister on -
o The structure of the HE system in general;
o Quality promotion and quality assurance in HE;
o The allocation of public moneys to HEIs; and
o The governance of HEIs.

12. Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA)
This is a statutory body that was established by the Act
of Parliament Act No. 29 of 1996. Its mandates are:
• to set up and administer a National Qualifications
Framework
• set the occupational standards for any occupation,
job, post or positions in any career structure
• set the curriculum standards for achieving the
occupational standards
• promote the development of, or analyse,
benchmarks of acceptable performance norms for
any occupation , job or position

13. Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) Conts...
• accredit persons, institutions and
organisations providing education and
courses of instruction or training
• evaluate and recognise competencies learnt
outside formal education
• be a forum on matters pertaining to
qualifications
• establish facilities for the collection and
dissemination of information in connection
with matters pertaining to qualifications

14. Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) Conts...
• enquire into whether any particular qualification
meets the national standards
• advise any person, body, institution, organisation
or interest group on matters pertaining to
qualifications and national standards for
qualifications.

15. NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (NQF)
The principles of the NQF which was the primary
mechanism for achieving greater quality in education and
training and must be:
• comprehensive in its recognition of all learning and all
qualifications attained in the country
• cognisant of each individual’s right and desire for access
to lifelong learning through different pathways to achieve
success
• directed towards quality through the development of
standards-based qualifications that would recognise
outcomes no matter how achieved

16. NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (NQF)
Conts…
• capable of redressing past injustices, particularly
through the recognition of prior learning
• relevant, with a closer interaction between what
was taught and assessed with the competences
required in and across career structures
• democratic, proving for stakeholder engagement
and participation in meaningful ways
• integrated so that learners might progress
horizontally and vertically in a more free and
efficient manner so that the prospects of reaching
locked into dead-end programmes were minimised.

17. OBSERVATION
• There has been a lot efforts and resources
invested in education at all levels.
• However, despite such investments, quality
remains a question of the day especially with
respect to HE.
• Currently, the accreditation by NQA is not
compulsory therefore allows some institutions to
operate unregulated and thereafter offer non-
standardised education. It is worth noting that
the NQA Act is currently under review.

18. OBSERVATION Conts…
• Although there is a mushrooming of HEIs, it
remains that no sufficient places for all students
who meet the requirements.
• Another challenge is that there a lack of
understanding in the philosophy of quality
assurance.
• It emerges that much needs to be done in HE to
ensure total quality management.

19. CONCLUSION
• It all started from humble beginnings to build
up higher education in the 1980s with only
two providers and shortly the number
escalated to over 15 providers.
• Quality has been the core point for
consideration has establishment of quality
assurance agencies to regulate the higher
education system.
• Although a lot has been done, much needs to
be done to ensure total quality management
in HE system in Namibia.

20. THE END
THANK YOU