Classrooms across the country are set for a major technological upgrade as the government roll out a revised national framework designed to prepare students for a digital economy while improving living conditions at state-run schools.
The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture officially unveiled the 2025/2026 Norms and Standards Framework for Schools, introducing artificial intelligence (AI) and digital literacy into the core curriculum alongside the country’s first standardized operating guidelines for student hostels.
Aligned with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), the new policy prioritizes upskilling both teachers and students in information and communication technology (ICT) to ensure state schools keep pace with rapid technological advances.
At the launch, the Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture, Dino Ballotti in a speech delivered on his behalf, highlighted the importance of educational benchmarks serving a human purpose rather than just an administrative one.
He emphasized that standards should prioritize people instead of merely addressing checklists, inspections, forms, or compliance requirements.
“Standards are ultimately about people,” he said, highlighting that the Framework is structured around seven key areas of quality.
These include: resource provision; curriculum attainment; teaching and learning; schools as social units; management and leadership; parent and community engagement; and regional and circuit linkage.
In addition to the school framework, Ballotti introduced the National Minimum Standards for Operations of Hostels, valid through 2030.
According to Ballotti, supported by UNICEF and European Union technical assistance, the policy sets mandatory baselines for health, nutrition, safety, and infrastructure in state-run boarding facilities, which house thousands of students in rural regions.
“When we talk about education reform, we often speak in terms of policies, frameworks, budgets, infrastructure and programmes. But behind all of these things, we should always remember that the child comes first,” he noted.
The Deputy Minister meanwhile called on stakeholders to raise the standards of the education system and ultimately elevate the standard of opportunity for every child across Namibia.
