INTERVIEW: NANSO Welcomes Free University Education as Historic Victory for Students

By Leonard Witbeen

The announcement of free tertiary education has been met with overwhelming support from students across the country, with the National Students’ Organization of Namibia (NANSO) being one of the most vocal supporters. In a statement following the news, NANSO President Dorthea Nangolo expressed deep satisfaction, highlighting how this moment fulfills a longstanding generational mandate that the organization has worked towards for years.

Nangolo emphasized that NANSO has always stood for the principle of free tertiary education, and that the move by the government was a victory for all students. She reflected on NANSO’s Congress resolutions, particularly from July 2024, where the organization reaffirmed its commitment to the fight for free education at public institutions.

“We are absolutely overwhelmed with joy to know that it’s become a reality so fast. Something we had put in our strategic plan and calculated would take at least five years to implement, has taken just a few months,” Nangolo said in an interview.

The president’s announcement of this policy change, which will see public institutions offering free tertiary education, is a major milestone in the country’s education reform efforts. Nangolo noted that higher education locally had been increasingly commodified, making it unaffordable for many young people. This policy shift, she said, is a monumental achievement in making education more accessible to all Namibians, regardless of their economic background.

Reflecting on the recent changes to the National Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), which has now become a directorate under the Ministry of Higher Education, Nangolo shared NANSO’s initial concerns regarding this development. “We had received an announcement earlier on in the year that NSF would become a directorate under the ministry, and we were entirely against it. But now it makes sense why NSF is under the ministry if there’s a plan for higher education to be 100% subsidized at public institutions,” she explained.

For NANSO, this move represents a promise fulfilled. The organization has spent years advocating for free tertiary education as part of its broader push to improve the quality of education and increase opportunities for young citizens. Nangolo noted that the announcement not only reflects the government’s commitment to education but also the success of student-led activism over the years.

The introduction of free tertiary education has the potential to drastically reduce the financial barriers that have long kept many Namibians from accessing higher education. Nangolo and her team at NANSO are already looking forward to further implementation and how this change will affect future generations of students.

“We are over the moon with this decision,” Nangolo exclaimed. “This is a huge moment for us as NANSO, and we are excited to witness this shift in our educational landscape.”

In her final remarks, Nangolo stressed the importance of continued student advocacy and the need for sustained focus on ensuring that the policy is successfully carried out. “This is just the beginning. We need to remain vigilant and work with the government to ensure the full implementation of this policy for the benefit of all students.”

With this announcement, the government has shown its commitment to ensuring that higher education is accessible to everyone, furthering the country’s development goals while empowering its youth.

The post INTERVIEW: NANSO Welcomes Free University Education as Historic Victory for Students first appeared on Future Media News.

The post INTERVIEW: NANSO Welcomes Free University Education as Historic Victory for Students appeared first on Future Media News.