Khomas Governor Calls for Recognised Qualifications to Protect Students
Khomas Regional Governor Sam Nujoma has called for education and training institutions to offer recognised qualifications, saying this is critical to protecting students and ensuring graduates acquire skills relevant to the labour market.
Nujoma made the remarks during the Khomas Regional public awareness session on the National Policy on Qualifications Standards, held at the Windhoek Country Club on Wednesday.
The Khomas engagement marked the final leg of the Namibia Qualifications Authority’s (NQA) nationwide awareness campaign, which covered all 14 regions ahead of the policy’s implementation.
The Governor said his office had earlier this year received concerns from student leaders about institutions offering programmes that are not recognised by the NQA.
He said this had left some students unable to access funding from the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) and uncertain about their future employment prospects.
“This policy therefore comes at an opportune time, providing a coherent framework so that qualifications from schools, vocational training institutions, colleges, universities, and other providers are developed, assessed, and quality assured to consistent national standards, strengthening public confidence and enhancing the recognition and portability of Namibian qualifications at home and abroad,” Nujoma said.
The National Policy on Qualifications Standards provides a framework for establishing national standards for academic, vocational and professional qualifications.
It is aimed at promoting quality assurance, consistency and alignment with the National Qualifications Framework.
The policy also seeks to strengthen the credibility and international recognition of Namibian qualifications while ensuring that education and training programmes respond to the country’s socio-economic and labour market needs.
