Higher education quality assurance workshop kicks off
Namibia and Botswana are collaborating on a UNESCO-backed workshop to harmonize higher education quality assurance standards across the SADC region. The initiative aims to balance increased access to education with rigorous academic standards and qualification recognition.
Why it matters
Standardizing education quality is essential for regional economic integration and the mobility of skilled labor in Southern Africa.
Namibia and Botswana have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening quality assurance in higher education through a workshop to promote harmonised standards and the recognition of qualifications across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The two-day workshop started in Windhoek yesterday and is hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
It brings together regulators, university leaders, policymakers and quality assurance practitioners from both countries under the theme ‘Strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the SADC region.’ In a speech read on her behalf, Minister of Education Sanet Steenkamp said quality assurance remains central to public confidence in higher education systems.
She said Namibia’s decision to fully subsidise registration and tuition fees at public tertiary institutions has expanded access to higher education, but stressed that increased enrolment must be matched by strong quality standards.
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