EENHANA – Swapo Party councilor in the Omundaungilo constituency in the Ohangwena Region, Festus Ikanda, last week opened a new classroom block at the Onakalunga Combined School situated some 7km from Eenhana.
The new classroom block will facilitate four additional classes, whose learners had been attending school in corrugated iron sheet structures at the school. The project to build the additional classroom block was funded by the Ministry of Education to the tune of N$950 000. Councillor Ikanda said the construction of the new classroom block highlights and represents his commitment as a political representative in the constituency to invest in early childhood education and development in order to achieve Vision 2030. “It is our job as public servants to support and provide services in our local communities. I am pleased to see the schools in my constituency growing and very pleased to see this outcome. Our children as our future leaders will benefit from this every day and for some years to come and I would like to congratulate our government through the Ministry of Education for their determination in taking this project forward.” The combined school that was built soon after independence in 1995 is currently offering Grade 1–10 classes.
The four new classrooms will be catering for pre-primary school and upper-primary grades. He also encouraged the school principal and teachers to deliver and to ensure the best results in Grade 10, since the school performed dismally in the 2013 examinations. Onakalunga Combined School was ranked 5th in 2012 and is now ranked 75th in the 2013 rankings. “I would like to emphasize that it’s now your responsibility to deliver the best ever so that you can become one of the best combined schools in the region. Your ranking leaves a lot to be desired. You are very lucky because your school has all the necessary facilities like electricity, purified water and now new classrooms unlike other schools in Namibia. You must have a target for 2014 to improve your performance,” he emphasized. Also present at the handover ceremony was the Chief Works Inspector in the Directorate of Education in the region, Elka Hainghumbi, who encouraged the school management to maintain the new classroom block. “Now that all your grievances and concerns are being addressed gradually by the government, l would like to appeal to you as a school administration to maintain your school property so that it can last longer.
We have signed a twelve month guarantee with the contractor,” he said. He said plans are underway to renovate the old classroom blocks, as well as the construction of a new administration block and a library with Internet facilities. The school has an establishment of 15 staff members, including cleaners. The tender for the construction of the classroom block was awarded to Oshakati-based K.K.K.K Bricks and Enterprises Construction owned by Willem Haipinge, who completed the work well ahead of schedule.
By Clemence Tashaya