By Eveline de Klerk
WALVIS BAY – Afternoon classes could soon be something of the past for !Nara Primary School after five classrooms were built with N$1.2 million in Japanese government assistance.
The five classrooms were handed over to the Walvis Bay school by the Deputy Ambassador of Japan, Shinchi Asazuma, yesterday morning.
Asazuma during the handover said the donation was made possible by the Japanese government through their grant assistance scheme for grassroots human security projects.
He added that the programme was introduced in 1989 to assist local authorities in addressing development needs in a prompt and comprehensive manner in areas such as education, health, water supply and climate change, among other development projects.
“Since 1997 we have assisted 38 projects in Namibia. Since April last year until March this year we have granted N$3.2 million to three projects, including the construction of classrooms at !Nara Primary,” said the deputy ambassador.
Speaking at the same event, the principal of the school Christina !Gontes said the school is one of the fastest growing schools in the country.
She added that due to the high demand for proper education the school has been striving to ensure all learners attend class even if it means attending afternoon class.
According !Gontes, the past three years saw the number of classrooms being increased to 25 thanks to cooperation from local businesses and government initiatives.
Currently the school has 32 class groups of which eight have to attend afternoon classes.
“There is a need to provide quality education. which can only be achieved with proper facilities, and well trained and motivated teachers. Education is a joint venture between different stakeholders and this is indeed a good example of this gesture,” she said.
Nara Primary School was built in 2011 during a classroom crisis in Walvis Bay, compelling some schools to opt for afternoon classes. The school started with 475 learners that were accommodated in 10 classrooms with 10 teachers. But today the school boasts 25 classrooms with 38 teachers and only eight classes have afternoon sessions.
Speaking at the same occasion, the Deputy Mayor of Walvis Bay, Benson Uakumbua, said the education sector cannot be left in the hands of government alone.
“Education should be a collective effort. It is by far a very elaborative and expensive investment that should enjoy priority on all levels by all stakeholders – the government, private sector and international partners such as Japan,” Uakumbua said.