Matheus Hamutenya
Vaalgras-It was all smiles last Friday at Vaalgras Primary School where learners, teachers and community members gathered to witness the handing over of four prefabricated classrooms that cost N$800 000.
It has not been smooth sailing for both teachers and learners at the school, after roofs of several classrooms were blown off by strong winds that were followed by heavy rains in November 2014, leaving the school without a conducive environment for learning and teaching.
It was thus a sigh of relief for learners, teachers and community members when the acting principal Hendrina Ovambo finally received keys to the brand-new temporary classrooms.
In her few remarks Ovambo said the school was thankful to be recipients of the new structures after more than two years of suffering, adding that the classrooms would be of great benefit to the education of the Namibian child.
“We accept wholeheartedly the four classrooms officially handed to us today and we assure you they will be for optimal use and the advancement of the Namibian child and in particular Vaalgras primary learners,” promised Ovambo
She said the school under her leadership would take good care of the new buildings, so that they are used for many years to come.
The Kalahari circuit inspector Constance Wantenaar was equally thankful for the new structures, saying they will enable learners to get quality education, noting there was disruption of teaching and learning after the disaster, but she was sure the situation would now “get back to normal”.
“With these classrooms we are now sure that quality teaching and learning will take place, and we know that learners as well as teachers will be able to perform to the best of their abilities.”
She indicated that although circumstances have improved with the new classrooms, work towards the realisation of the new school and hostel should continue and she was hopeful construction would begin as soon as possible.
The tender to construct the new school building and hostel for more than N$100 million was already awarded to the successful bidder towards the end of last year, but construction is yet to start.
Education director of the //Kharas Region |Awebahe ||Hoeseb explained that construction of the four classrooms, built by Quick Build Prefab Modular Solutions, was necessitated by the slow progress in the construction of the new building and hostel for the school.
“I am convinced that the quality of teaching and learning at Vaalgras Primary School, which was severely compromised by lack of classrooms, will be a thing of the past since the school now has four additional classrooms,” he said.
The school has 133 learners from grade zero to seven, with 74 of those in the hostel.