Introduction

The Namibian College of Open Learning is a state-supported educational institution, established by an Act of Parliament (Act 1 of 1997) which provides learning opportunities for adults and out-of-school youth. The College can trace its roots back to various continuing and distance education programmes that were available to Namibians before independence. Towards the end of 1994, these programmes were consolidated under a single directorate within the Ministry of Education, and this can be regarded as the first step in NAMCOL’s transformation into an autonomous institution. In April 1998, the newly established College took over responsibility for the programmes that were previously provided by the Ministry of Education.

 

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NAMCOL Programmes

The College offers courses at the following levels:

ALTERNATIVE SECONDARY EDUCATION (ASE)

  • The Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC)

    • The examination taken by most Grade 10 learners, which is set and marked nationally.

  • The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)

    • This is the school-leaving, externally accredited examination, taken by most Grade 12 learners in Namibia.

 

NAMCOL learners studying towards these qualifications follow the same syllabuses and sit the same examinations as their counterparts in formal schools.

 

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMES

  • Certificate in Education for Development (CED)

    • A two-year study programme in community development offered through a combination of distance and face-to-face modes of study.

  • National Higher Diploma in Adult Basic Education and Training (NHDABET)

    • CED graduands are eligible to do one year of additional study through UNISA to qualify for the UNISA National Higher Diploma in Adult Basic Education and Training.

  • Commonwealth Diploma in Youth in Development (CYP)

    • A two-year study programme in youth development work, offered through distance as well as face-to-face modes of study.


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Sources of Data

The statistics included in this Digest are obtained from a number of sources. The NAMCOL Data Unit provides data on subject enrolments, registered learners and data on the performance of students enrolled for the CED and the CYP diploma, while NHDABET results are provided by UNISA. Another source of information is the Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment (DNEA) in the Ministry of Education, which provides data on the examination results of JSC and IGCSE candidates.

 

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Definition of Terms

Since NAMCOL provides programmes for out-of-school learners, specialised terminology has been devised to refer to this clientele. In order to establish a basis for comparison with the formal education system, it is necessary to define the terms used by the staff of the College.

 

ASE

This term refers to the Alternative Secondary Education programme, namely: JSC and IGCSE.

 

Registered Learner (or simply ‘Learner’)

(See Table 1.1)
This term refers to the individuals who register to study with NAMCOL, irrespective of the mode and level. For example, a person who enrols to study for subjects at different levels or through different modes would be counted as a single, registered learner.

 

Enrolment

(See Figure 1.1, Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2)
The term ‘enrolment’ refers to level of study (JSC, IGCSE, or Professional Programmes) into which a learner record falls. Thus, a single learner who enrols for three subjects at JSC level, plus one subject at IGCSE level, would be counted as two enrolments.

 

Subject Enrolment / Subject Entry

(See Table I and Table II)
A ‘subject enrolment’ refers to each subject that a learner has enrolled for, regardless of level or mode of study.

 

Drop-out

(See Table 3.3 and Table 3.4)
The term ‘drop-out’ refers to NAMCOL subject enrolments which cannot be traced as examination subject entries at the appropriate level, plus subject entries that are given an ‘Incomplete’ mark because candidates failed to complete all of the requirements for the examination.

 

Level

The term ‘level’ refers to the type of certification, namely: JSC, IGCSE, CED, NHDABET or CYP.

 

Mode

This term refers to the method of study, i.e. OPEN(contact ) or OPEN(non-contact) and applies only to JSC & IGCSE learners. All learners are provided with self-study materials and tutor-marked assignments. They can enrol in either of the following modes of study: OPEN(Contact) - learners who take this option attend weekly tutorials for two hours per subject; OPEN(Non-contact) - learners who take this option only attend the one week workshops offered twice a year, during school holidays.

 

Part-Time Candidates

This term refers to learners registered with institutions that are not part of the formal school system. Nevertheless these learners sit for the same examination as the full-time candidates. Note: This term is not applicable to learners who take the option for Professional Programmes.

 

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