Terence Mukasa
The Sunshine Private College in Windhoek hosted its first-ever graduation ceremony on Friday.
Eighteen students graduated with post-graduate diplomas in education (NQF Level 8).
Sunshine serves as an educational institution with services ranging from kindergarten, primary and secondary as well as tertiary education.
It was established in 2008 by Nomakando Kangira as a pre-primary school and after-care school, and opened its doors to the first Grade 1 intake in 2012 in Windhoek North.
The college introduced three higher tertiary programmes in 2019: Bachelor of Education Honours Degree in Junior Primary; Bachelor of Education Honours Degree in Senior Primary; and a Post-graduate Diploma in Education.
Kangira, who is director of the college, said they are now registered as a higher education institution in Namibia.
“The qualification weighs the same as other accredited higher educational institutions that offer the same programmes,” the director added.
Acting rector Archford Musodza said during the ceremony that accrediting the institution to be able to offer tertiary training with the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) was not easy. Musodza added that the Covid-19 pandemic was a major obstacle, but with dedication, they continued to provide tutorials virtually to ensure students would not miss out on any learning.
On her part, gender equality deputy minister Bernadette Jagger said graduation is a time of triumph, adding that “it marks the end of one phase and the beginning of the next phase”.
She noted that the graduation should help the nation at large contemplate on innovation, industriousness and integrity as part of the keys to economic transformation.
“We need innovative ideas in education, business, the public sector and social development in all sectors,” stated Jagger.
Come 2022, the college will offer undergraduate degrees in bachelor of education in both junior and senior primary level. The closing date for applications is 30 November 2021.
Registrar of Sunshine Jonathan Maposhere told New Era that the tertiary curriculum will not be subjected to change because the college is complementing and working with the national education curriculum of Namibia.
“All our examinations and modules are externally moderated. Therefore, its standards are not only internal but national and regional too,” he said.
Maposhere added that within the coming two to three years, the college will establish new programmes such as commercial, early childhood education and other humanities programmes, including sciences.