WINDHOEK – The Namibia College of Open Learning (Namcol) has dismissed the notion it is not improving results for grade 10 and 12 out-of-school learners, saying it has not only helped students improve on their examination results but has contributed to a pool of human capital in the country – such as lawmakers, accountants, engineers and attorneys.
Namcol’s mandate is to provide educational opportunities for adults and out-of-school youths.
Namcol spokesperson Rholene Bok on Tuesday defended the institution saying there are a significant number of good products who graduated from the college and are now serving the nation.
She mentioned as one of the success stories Member of Parliament in the National Assembly, Juliet Kavetuna, who improved her subjects at Namcol. Kavetuna is also the Deputy Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture.
Kavetuna could not be reached to share her journey at the college.
“Namcol is not there for failures but an institution that is able to help them become responsible citizens. Mr Silas Kishi Shakumu dropped out of school 20 years ago and became a school security guard. Today he is an attorney who owns his own law firm after completing his schooling at Namcol. If people wish to prosper they should have a purpose in life, something that will keep them going,” she said.
Kaveurika Tjaronda is another achiever who is a former Namcol learner, but now studying engineering at the Polytechnic of Namibia.
“I am proud and extremely grateful for Namcol. Namcol has done three major things in my studies. It changed my mess into a message, test into testimony; above all, it raised me from a zero to a hero,” he said.
Other alumni include Mbandeuru Muhenje from Opuwo in the Kunene Region who became an electrical engineer after improving his subjects at Namcol, as well as Victoria Shamhe, who now holds a BA (Psychology), a Diploma in Adult Education and Community Development, as well as a Diploma in Labour and Employment Studies. She is currently busy with her MBA with Mancosa.
She is a human resource officer (compensation and administration) at NamPost.
Alpha Ndeunyema is also a former Namcol learner and now holds a BEd; BEd (Honours); a Master’s in Education, Planning and Social Policy from the University of Cape Town. She is currently a lecturer in economics at the International University of Management (IUM) at the Ongwediva Campus.
“The college has responded positively to its legal mandate over the years and now boasts over 30 000 enrollments in the country each year. For the college to draw such a large number of learners, it implies it has a story to tell, a beautiful story. It has not only helped learners improve on their examination results but has contributed to a pool of human capital,” Bok noted.
Further, she pointed out that most learners, especially in grades 10 and 12 come to Namcol with bruised confidence, stemming from personal failure and what they perceive as negative perceptions about them by their peers.
Bok said it is therefore expected that the college does confidence repairs and instill a sense of self-belief in learners for them to cope with teaching and learning.
Although there have been fluctuating results in graded entries, she explained there has been steady improvement in the quality of symbols learners achieved in various subjects, and often the college has rewarded such achievements at its annual prize giving ceremonies.
For the 2014 Junior Secondary Certificate, 67 Namcol learners got A’s, 375 got B’s and 982 got C’s.
For Grade 12, the picture is as follows: A* at 9, 63 got A’s, 310 attained B’s, and 1 335 got C’s.
In 2014, Namcol provided study opportunities to 40 456 learners countrywide in the various disciplines. Of this figure, 11 644 enrolled for Grade 10 and 25 236 for Grade 12. Of the 10 754 part-time entries for 2014, 10 485 were enrolled with Namcol.
Bok said a total of 9 384 subject entries were thus graded. For grade 12, 25 540 sat for the examinations, of whom 22 886 were enrolled at Namcol. Of this figure, Bok said, 20 227 were graded for the examinations.
Namcol finished its 2015 enrolment on Monday, hence could not yet provide all statistics from all the regions so far.
But Bok said, “We have increased the number of study packs for this year. Provision is made for more than 39 000 learners in grades 10 and 12.”