Albertina Nakale
WINDHOEK – In its drive to ensure consumer protection for those investing in education and safeguard the country’s reputation, the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) has once again cautioned bogus education institutions to desist from robbing citizens of their hard-earned money in exchange of fake qualifications.
Namibian students have on many occasions been robbed of their cash by bogus institutions that promise them education but in real life such qualifications are fake.
Qualifications obtained at unaccredited institutions in Namibia or elsewhere in the world are not recognized as legal and, therefore, are of no value.
Currently, there are 50 accredited institutions of higher learning in Namibia.
NQA Chairperson for Accreditation, Audit and Assessment Committee, Lilia Shaningwa, warned these bogus institutions that they should desist from such ill tendencies.
She made the remarks during an NQA ceremony to hand over certificates to 21 accredited institutions of higher learning in Namibia yesterday.
“To those institutions that prefer to continue misleading the nation, your time is up. You have a choice to either be on the right side of the law or face its full extent,” she warned.
However, she vowed that the NQA would not relax the requirements for accreditation, re-accreditation or expansion of scope.
She said the NQA observed huge discrepancies in fees that learners are charged by various institutions.
Furthermore, she said they have also noted that entry requirements into the institutions of higher learning are varied.
Thus, she said the NQA has resolved to start looking into these challenges and to come up with clear guidelines to address them.
She directed all higher learning institutions to reflect on the training programmes they offer that it is aligned and addressing the labour-market expectations and demands.
The NQA invited all key stakeholders in the education and training sector to join hands and assess the relevance and responsiveness of the qualifications and set qualification standards that ensure labour-market relevance.
“In doing that it will help us to develop a skilled workforce, transform the country’s economy while working towards the long-term national goals, as articulated in the Harambee Prosperity Plan and other national development priorities,” she said.