Education in Namibia

Education in Namibia is compulsory for 10 years between the ages of 6 and 16. There are approximately 1500 schools in Namibia of which 100 are privately owned. The Constitution directs the government to provide free primary education; however, families must pay fees for uniforms, books, hostels, and school improvements.The Namibian education system accommodates approximately 600,000 learners of which 174,000 are senior secondary students and below 10,000 are pre-primary pupils. While teachers are seen as generally adequately educated they lack specialised training. Schools consistently perform below expectation; failure and dropout rates are high. Only 12% of learners proceed into tertiary education of any kind due to limited places in universities and vocational training.