Lahja Nashuuta
Education minister Anna Nghipondoka yesterday released the 2024 NSSCO and AS examinations results, revealing a slight improvement in the overall pass rate of those who sat last year.
The results reveal an overall pass rate of 89.3%, marking a 1.1% improvement when juxtaposed against the 2023 outcomes.
Official figures show that 40 757 full-time candidates registered for the National Examinations at the Ordinary Level, which represents a 0.2% decrease from the 40 682 candidates registered in 2023.
Overall, the learners’ performances showed improvement in science subjects in 2024.
“We are observing a higher percentage of learners at A to D in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Agricultural Science. Notably, Physics demonstrates remarkable progress, with 51.7% of learners achieving Grade D or better, compared to 37.1% in 2023.
A significant reduction of ungraded entries is observed in Computer Science, from 6.1% in 2023 to 3.9% in 2024, and this is a move in the right direction,” Nghipondoka noted.
Languages
She continued: “On a national level, the average for grades A* to D rose from 43.4% to 48.7%. Both Afrikaans and English 2nd Language show a decline in performance. Afrikaans 2nd Language’s performance decreased in top grades, with grade A* dropping from 1.8% to 0.6%, while English 2nd Language also experienced lower results in the top grades. Both subjects had a drop in the A* to D average, with the national average falling from 70.2% to 58.9% in 2024.”
The education minister emphasised the importance of targeted efforts to enhance language skills and achieve better results in the future.
“To improve language proficiency, it is vital to prioritise interactive and immersive learning experiences,” she said.
Top performers
Leading the pack among the best-performing schools is the Rukonga Vision School, which retained the first position, followed by Onawa Secondary School.
Meanwhile, the Ruacana Vocational Secondary School appears to have woken up from its slumber.
From position 16th in 2023, the once highly- rated school moved 13 places to clinch the third position nationally.
Other schools among the top 10 include Rev. Juuso Shikongo Secondary School, Delta Secondary School Windhoek, Negumbo SSS, Nuuyoma SSS, Ekulo SS, Windhoek HS and Sakaria Shikudule CS.
On the private front, Canisianum Roman Catholic School is leading. They are followed by Oshigambo HS, while St. Joseph’s RC occupies the third position.
Regions
On the regional front, Oshikoto, Kavango West, Omusati, Oshana and Ohangwena lead, in that order.
Others, such as //Kharas, which scooped the third spot last year, dropped to number 11, while Omaheke ranks number 12.
For two years in a row, the education fortunes did not favour Kunene after the region ranked 14th on the log, a position it held in 2023.
Statistics furthermore indicate that 12 031 candidates, representing 29.5%, have qualified to advance to AS Level in 2025.
This marks a notable increase from 10 261 candidates, or 25.2%, who qualified in 2024 for AS Level – reflecting a 4.3% improvement.
Dux learners
Yesterday’s results also saw Namibia’s crème de la crème rise to the summit.
Hofni Hangula and Edwin Johannes, both from Onawa SS, and Selesite Kanyanye from Gabriel Taapopi SSS, were the best performers at the AS Level, while Jolisa Garises, Tangeniomwene Ingashipua and Trinity /Oxurus from Rukonga Vision School were the best performers at the Ordinary Level.
Executive reaction
Reacting to the results, education executive director Sanet Steenkamp attributed this year’s pass rate to the decentralisation of resources and power to the regional directorates.
In an interview with New Era, Steenkamp credited the strategies they deployed following 2023’s lacklustre performances.
Chiefly, she pointed to the decentralisation of resources and power to the regional directorates to determine standards, as well as strengthen the mechanisms to make schools accountable for their results.
“Thus, specific strategies were introduced. Every strategy is context-based, all depending on the needs of the region and the resources. Of course, from head office, we also supplemented the resources to the schools. So, there were regional improvement strategies that we adopted with the regional council, and the council with the schools,” Steenkamp elucidated.
“Our strategies were tailor-made for each school and region because the solutions for one school do not necessarily meet the same criteria at another school. So, it’s all context- based. It’s based on the needs of the schools and how quickly a teacher, with what depth of understanding, can convey the content of the subjects, and make sure that the curriculum or the syllabus is completed within a given timeframe”, she added.
The intervention included the direct procurement of infrastructure.
Through the decentralisation of the resources, the ministry managed to construct 1 022 classrooms.
“The procurement of chairs and desks is still a problem because of the procurement system where we could also get into reviews, or you’re being challenged, and then you experience delays. So, there are quite a few things that we still need to improve in our education system if we really want to see efficiency at the lowest level,” she observed.
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