EDITORIAL: Free tertiary education is a noble dream - but let’s get it right
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s bold proclamation that “the fees have fallen” has ignited excitement and hope across the country. For thousands of young Namibians who have long stared helplessly at the gates of universities because of financial barriers, the promise of free tertiary education sounds like liberation. It’s a visionary step – one that could change the trajectory of a generation.
But as with any noble idea, execution is everything. Rushing implementation without a watertight plan risks turning this dream into a nightmare for both government and the institutions expected to carry it out.
On Friday, the chairperson of the education ministry’s task force and the ministry’s executive director, Gerhard Vries, confirmed that the plan must still be resubmitted to the president for review. The president, he said, had already given “further guidance and instruction” after the first draft. The fact that this blueprint is still doing rounds at the highest level on the eve of the 2026 academic year – the year in which free tertiary education is set to begin – is a red flag. It suggests that the technical groundwork is not yet solid. And that is perfectly fine.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah is only seven months into her five-year term. She has time – and time is what this policy needs most. Transforming a tuition-based higher education system into a free one requires funding models that are sustainable, administrative systems that are ready, and institutional buy-in from universities that will have to adapt their budgets, operations and quality controls.
At the very least, it would be prudent to give the eighth administration a full year to refine this blueprint. Implementing this policy in haste could cause disarray across institutions and lead to budgetary shocks that could harm the very students it seeks to empower.
But as with any noble idea, execution is everything. Rushing implementation without a watertight plan risks turning this dream into a nightmare for both government and the institutions expected to carry it out.
On Friday, the chairperson of the education ministry’s task force and the ministry’s executive director, Gerhard Vries, confirmed that the plan must still be resubmitted to the president for review. The president, he said, had already given “further guidance and instruction” after the first draft. The fact that this blueprint is still doing rounds at the highest level on the eve of the 2026 academic year – the year in which free tertiary education is set to begin – is a red flag. It suggests that the technical groundwork is not yet solid. And that is perfectly fine.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah is only seven months into her five-year term. She has time – and time is what this policy needs most. Transforming a tuition-based higher education system into a free one requires funding models that are sustainable, administrative systems that are ready, and institutional buy-in from universities that will have to adapt their budgets, operations and quality controls.
At the very least, it would be prudent to give the eighth administration a full year to refine this blueprint. Implementing this policy in haste could cause disarray across institutions and lead to budgetary shocks that could harm the very students it seeks to empower.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article