Promising future for grade 11's

Mariselle StofbergWith the change in the Namibian curriculum for schools, many learners are uncertain as to which universities will accept applications with a grade 11 certificate. My Zone spoke to higher learning institutions in Namibia to gain some perspective on the future of grade 11 learners and tertiary education.Gerry Wilson Munyama, the director of marketing, communication and stakeholder engagement at the International University of Management (IUM), says although IUM is a private university, it does not operate in a vacuum. “It is guided by Namibian laws and policy directives in delivering its mission of equipping its students with the much-needed productive skills required to transform not only Namibia and the continent but the global village as well. That is our mission. Therefore, IUM shall toe the line and will not discriminate against any NSSC graduate application on the basis of grade 11 or grade 12. To us, they are cooked in the same pot,” Munyama said. On that basis, IUM will admit students on only two criteria: firstly, the applicant, whether grade 11 or 12, must have successfully completed his or her National Senior Secondary Certificate and, secondly, the applicant must meet the admission requirements for the qualification he or she applies for.Triumphant College will accept applicants with grade 11 on the new curriculum for all their diploma programmes. Admission will be subject to the minimum requirement as stipulated in their prospectus.“Those with grade 11 on the new curriculum will be regarded on the same level as the old grade 12. Our minimum requirement will be 18 points for diplomas and 25 points for degree programmes. With an F or better in English, some departments like Law and Psychology will require a D or better in English, Engineering programmes will require a D or better in Maths and sciences,” said Rousa Shikoha, the public relations officer at Triumphant College. Eligible for admission“Grade 11 students may apply for studies at Nust, but certain programmes require higher level subjects or AS-level grades. Certain programmes require a combination of both lower level and AS-level subjects,” said Dr Delvaline Mowes, the director of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) and Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning at Nust.“For programmes such as engineering degrees, learners must complete a bridging programme referred to as the Introduction to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (InSTEM). This programme is designed to enhance competency in basic science, mathematics, and English communication. Upon successful completion of InSTEM, the students will be eligible for admission to undergraduate programmes in the STEM areas, depending on the specific requirements of the courses,” said Kaitira Kandjii, the director of marketing and communications at Nust.John Haufiku, the acting director of marketing and communication at the University of Namibia (Unam), said the university is leaning more towards applicants with a grade 12 qualification. “We encourage the grade 11s to finish their AS-levels and then to consider applying to Unam after finishing grade 12. It is unlikely that you will be admitted this year with just a grade 11 certificate.” Grade 11 results expectedIn total, 21 648 NSSCO new full-time grade 11 candidates registered at 329 centres for the first time in Namibia.“The results of these candidates have been provided to the schools through their respective regional education directorates . This decision was taken to enable the regions to do timely planning for the placement of the successful candidates to proceed to advanced subsidiary (AS) schools. The individual statement of results will be available at the schools and centres as from this week,” said Ester Nghipondoka, the minister of education, arts and culture. For learners to advance to AS-levels or grade 12, they have to receive three C-symbol grades or more. “We have 120 schools that will offer AS-levels across the country with 95 that are government schools,” said Sanet Steenkamp, the executive director in the ministry of education, arts and culture.“It is important for us to make sure no learner is left behind. We need to also cater for arts, drama studies and entrepreneurial courses. Every learner matters, ” Steenkamp added.– mariselle@republikein.com.na

Promising future for grade 11's

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-30

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Promising future for grade 11's

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-30

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