WINDHOEK, Aug. 20 — Namibia on Thursday unveiled a revised national framework for school standards and its first national minimum standards for state-run hostels, as the country seeks to improve education quality and adapt its school system to technological change.
The 2025/2026 Norms and Standards Framework for Schools places greater emphasis on digital literacy and the use of information and communication technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), in teaching and learning.
Speaking at the launch in Windhoek, Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture Dino Ballotti said the standards should serve learners and teachers rather than become merely administrative requirements.
“Standards are ultimately about people,” Ballotti said, adding that they should go beyond checklists, inspections, forms and compliance requirements. The framework sets standards across seven areas, including resource provision, curriculum attainment, teaching and learning, school management and leadership, parent and community engagement, and links between schools and regional education structures.
Ballotti also launched the National Minimum Standards for Operations of Hostels, which will remain in effect through 2030 and establish common requirements for health, nutrition, safety and infrastructure at state-run boarding facilities.
Developed with technical support from UNICEF and the European Union, the hostel standards are aimed particularly at improving conditions for learners who rely on boarding facilities in rural areas. Ballotti called on education authorities, schools, communities and other stakeholders to work together to raise standards and expand opportunities for children across the country. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
