Ondangwa
The Director of Education in Oshikoto Region Lameck Kafidi is optimistic that an increase in the number of boarding schools in the region could improve results at senior secondary level.
Although the region has over the years maintained position one at the junior secondary level, at senior secondary level it lags behind at position number two.
“The region is faced with congestion especially at secondary level. The learner population growth from primary to secondary in relation to the allocation of boarding in our schools is a point of concern,” said Kafidi at the Reverend Juuso Shikongo fundraising gala dinner over the weekend. Her speech was read by the deputy director of lifelong learning in Oshikoto Region. In a telephonic interview yesterday, the regional education director said the region currently has nine boarding schools and day schools with two more day schools to be introduced next year.
Kafidi said the region has the highest number of non-boarding schools.
“I am convinced that if our learners are moved from the current environment into a conducive environment where the learners are monitored, the results will definitely improve,” said Kafidi.
According to Kafidi, a large learner population at the secondary phase is exposed to an “unconducive studying environment”.
The junior secondary phase is said to be excelling because they commute from supervised homes, however the ones in the secondary phase are “accommodated anywhere they find a place”, said Kafidi.
“We have learners coming from all over, from different regions, but they are accommodated in people’s houses, in some shacks, hungry and unsupervised,” said Kafidi.
Kafidi said the demand for secondary schooling remains high, hence the need to have two additional secondary schools in the region.
The last boarding school established in the region was in early 2000, when Ekulo was constructed, followed by Reverend Juuso Shikongo which is yet expected to embark on the third phase of classroom construction.
“But we cannot keep the learners waiting for years while we finish constructing boarding schools; we have to admit them somewhere,” said Kafidi.