Big cuts in tertiary education

JANA-MARI SMITH The Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation’s operational budget faces a potential 40% slash, which could see the ministry’s purse reduced by N$1.5 billion.Minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi yesterday said it was likely that the operational budget of the ministry would be reduced by N$1.5 billion, or about 40%.The higher education ministry was allocated N$3.41 billion for the 2016/2017 financial year, when the budget was tabled in February 2016.In October during the mid-term budget review, over N$92 million was cut from the ministry’s operational budget when finance minister Calle Schlettwein announced new austerity measures.Kandjii-Murangi yesterday said the funding cuts formed part of government’s overall fiscal consolidation and that the ministry would be forced to make tough choices about which programmes and projects would be affecting and to what extent.Nevertheless, she told journalists that the reduced amount would most likely be spread across all institutions and operations falling under the ministry, and that the ministry did not yet anticipate “any serious problems” with regard to stopping programmes.The minister assured potential students in need of financial support that the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), would continue to help them despite the “economic hardship faced by government”.Tough times Kandjii-Murangi’s announcement came a day after the University of Namibia had announced that it would freeze all vacancies and new positions, including those that had been approved, with immediate effect.In an internal memo, vice-chancellor Lazarus Hangula cited financial difficulties for the abrupt decision.The memo announced a restriction of employment of part-time staff and said no student assistants or student demonstrators would be employed by any of the university centres, faculties or offices without written approval.Staff were urged to “assist with carrying additional workloads, if and where possible and as may be required in order for Unam to continue to deliver effective and efficient services to our clients, the students.”The university released another memo on the same day, informing staff that it was unable to honour its December promise to implement salary increases in February.“The adjustments for 2017 will, however, be implemented to all staff to whom the salary adjustments are applicable at such a time that the financial position improves,” the memo read.Key activitiesThe minister took the opportunity to highlight activities planned for 2017, which included the construction of two vocational training centres, as well as starting work on creating a Centre of Excellence in Technical Vocational Education.The ministry will finalise a policy on higher education and the national job attachment and apprenticeship policies.Kandjii-Murangi said based on the latest examination results, the ministry expected an increase in the number of students enrolling for tertiary education, a process that should not be affected by the budget cuts.

Big cuts in tertiary education

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-06

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Big cuts in tertiary education

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-06

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