Over 30,000 learners who sat for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary and the Advanced Subsidiary Levels have failed to qualify for admission to tertiary education institutions, and the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) Secretary General, Mahongora Kavihuha, described the situation as unfortunate and a great cause for concern.
38,013 learners sat for the full-time examinations, and only over 5,000 scored 25 points or higher. The remaining ones must figure out their next step.
Mahongora Kavihuha says TUCNA is disappointed by Minister Anna Nghipondoka, who heads the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture.
He accuses Nghipondoka of having failed to take accountability and responsibility for the below-par performance of the learners.
During the announcement of the results, the minister took a swipe at educators, demanding that they up their game. However, Kavihuha disagrees with this stance.
"In her trying to pass the buck to someone else, because an education system is a unit, from her office down to the classroom, and each and every person at each and every level has a role to play and must take accountability and responsibility when the progress and results are not as we desired."
The unionist also criticized what he termed a bureaucratic process within the ministry, saying it has contributed to the high failure rate.
He says the ministry has not been disbursing the required funding for schools to effectively deliver through conducive teaching methods.
"Most schools across various regions have received their funds between August, September, and November; how do you expect the schools to function?"
The delayed appointment of teaching staff and crowded classrooms is another thorn in the flesh, Mahongora says.
"We need to bring all of these issues to the table so that we can develop a comprehensive, coordinated action plan."
Mahongora also complained that the new education curriculum is out of context, but education Executive Director Sanet Steenkamp assured the nation during an interview with nbc News that the positive outcomes of the curriculum will not be visible right away.
Loide Shaanika, Secretary General of the Namibia National Teachers Union, also informed nbc News that the union will declare itself this Wednesday.