Martin Endjala
The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture has proudly announced that a total of 10,261 students out of 40,682 who took the full-time 2023 national examinations have successfully qualified to proceed to the Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS), formerly known as Grade 12, this year.
This remarkable achievement represents 25.2 percent of the total candidates, marking an increase of 3.8 percent compared to the 21.4 percent who qualified in 2022.
According to education regulations, these successful candidates may choose to advance to Grade 12 at the AS level in 2024 or continue their tertiary education journey with their Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) results, should they wish to do so.
The official announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Anna Nghipondoka, during the release of the 2023 grade 11 and 12 national examination results.
Nghipondoka expressed her preference for candidates to remain in the education system to complete their formal education at the AS level.
However, based on the cut-off scores, the performance of the class of 2023 at the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary Level (NSSCAS) full-time examinations was outstanding.
A remarkable 29.4 percent of the candidates, totalling 11,970, achieved 25 points and above in five subjects, compared to 15.3 percent in 2022, which saw 5,812 candidates achieving this level – an impressive improvement of 14.1 percent.
In addition, at the NSSCO full-time level, 48.8 percent of the candidates, comprising 19,854 students, secured 20 points and above in at least five subjects.
This achievement allows them to qualify for degree and diploma courses at Institutions of Higher Learning. This performance surpassed the 45.6 percent achieved by 17,349 candidates in 2022, representing a notable improvement of 3.2 percent.
Minister Nghipondoka highlighted significant improvements in the students’ performance in Chemistry, Agricultural Science, and Computer Science, while Mathematics showed a slight improvement compared to the previous year.
The peak performances were observed in Physics and Biology, with the majority of grades falling in the C and D range.
The national average score across all grades saw a substantial increase, reaching 88.4 percent, while the AS level stood at 86 percent.
Nghipondoka acknowledged the progress but emphasized that more work needs to be done, particularly in improving teaching and learning in schools.
She encouraged school principals to redouble their efforts in creating a conducive learning environment and providing support to both teachers and students to excel.
Heads of Departments were urged to ensure the correct interpretation of syllabi and to supervise teaching and learning processes. Education Officers were also called upon to continue providing subject-specific support.
Furthermore, Inspectors of Education were tasked with guiding school leadership and enhancing internal and external monitoring of teaching and learning activities.
The Minister stressed the importance of identifying underperforming schools in each region and implementing specific and intentional interventions to bring about improvement.
The Khomas Region secured its position as the best-performing region at the NSSCO level, followed by Kavango East and //Karas regions.
At the AS level, Kavango West took the lead, followed by Omusati and Kavango East regions, showcasing the dedication and achievements of students across Namibia.
