Windhoek: Male candidates emerged as the top performers in the 2025 Grade 11 NSCCO and Grade 12 NSSCAS examinations, according to provisional results released by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport and Culture. During the official announcement of the results on Tuesday, Minister of Education Sanet Steenkamp said male candidates performed strongly overall, particularly in science and in commercial subjects.

According to Namibia Press Agency, 'Male learners dominated top achievement categories across most subjects at both senior secondary levels. The boys have proven themselves,' Steenkamp said. The minister noted a slight decline in Grade 11 candidature compared to the previous year. 'A total of 38,692 full-time candidates registered for the NSCCO examination in 2025, compared to 40,757 candidates who registered in 2024,' she said.

Despite the decrease in registration, overall performance remained stable, with an improvement noted in the number of learners qualifying for promotion to the next grade. Steenkamp attributed the results to curriculum stability, improved teacher support, and increased learner adaptation to assessment demands. The ministry noted that while male learners dominated the top-performing categories for 2025, female learners continued to outnumber males in overall enrolment figures at both Grade 11 and 12 levels.

Steenkamp emphasised that the results should not be viewed as a competition between genders, but rather as an indication of progress made in addressing historical underperformance among boys in the education system. She further urged parents, teachers, and learners to continue working together to improve academic outcomes across all regions, especially in rural and underserved areas.

"On that note, all candidates are hereby informed that the 2025 NSSCO and NSSCAS examination results will be accessible via the ministry's official website," Steenkamp concluded.