Windhoek
The celebratory mood is high in Visarend Street, Khomasdal as one of the highly sought-after schools, celebrated its 25th anniversary this week that started on Monday.
The 25 anniversary of the Elim Primary School today sees a highly acclaimed talent show followed by the Miss Elim Junior and Senior pageant at Western Suburbs on Friday. Visarend Street in suburbian Khomasdal has since Monday been a hustle and bustle of celebrations. Known for its excellence in scholarly and co-curricular areas, Elim is among the few primary schools that has cemented a strong foundation and has contributed enormously to the development of the country through nurturing sharp minds who have gone on to become academic minds.
The school has benefited from a succession of visionary leaders who have brought the school to where it is today.
Retired and Founding Principal Gert Jansen says during the late 1980s education was fragmented under the Department of National Education as well as Second Tier Governments like the Administration of Whites and Administration of Colourds. “A group of 17 teachers have decided to be administered by the Administration of Colourds and not the Department of National Education. Within the approval of the then Inspectorate, the school was accommodated from January 1989 in six class rooms at the previous Khomasdal College. (known today as Unam). Jansen said enrolments started with a group of 270 learners. “A platoon was implemented with lower primary classes in the morning and upper primary during the afternoon. During May 1990 the teachers and learners moved into the new building”.
The school was given a Biblical name and its emblem by the late Nico Phillipus. Today the school has about 1268 learners, 40 teaching staff and six support staff.