Steven Klukowski
KARASBURG – A managerial delegation from //Kharas regional council led by its chairperson Jan Scholtz visited Ernst Jager Combined School in Karasburg last week in light of the devastating fires at both the girls and boys hostels.
During a meeting with relevant stakeholders at the school premises, Scholtz said government is putting in place costly infrastructure for education of learners and that these sad incidents are negatively affecting pupils from surrounding areas who have been previously accommodated in the hostels. “The responsible leaders should give an account on how these fires broke out,” he strongly recommended. The chairperson then found it strange that these hostels burnt down within a period of four months and both on the night before the school closed. Karasburg East constituency councillor Dennis Coetzee at the same meeting felt these incidents should be dealt with in a serious manner. “Some elements in this community are taking the issue out of context,” he noted with concern with reference to those who want to use the issue to instigate others. In a communique in possession of New Era, one of the concerned parents in Karasburg claimed that no police investigations were carried out when the girl’s hostel burned down at the end of the last school semester during 2019. The parent further alleged that, they as parents were informed by the regional education director that no resources will be availed from government to rebuild the hostel for the next five years. It went on that 40 girls are now forced to use broken toilets due to the regional council’s unwillingness to assist them with temporary toilets. The parent claimed that there is a worrisome shortage of teachers at the school, which may compromise the learners’ future since more than 40 grade four learners failed last year.
When approached for comment, regional education director, /Awebahe //Hoeseb responded that the ministry would avail funds for the renovation of the girl’s hostel during the current academic year. “In terms of the mobile toilets it should be made clear that the school’s board and management failed in their duty to source the toilets as was supposed to be the case,” he added. He went on that no formal written indication has been submitted to his office about the cost of purchasing mobile toilets. On the teacher shortage, //Hoeseb explained that the appointment of teachers are done on the basis of learner enrolment as reflected on the 15th school day statistics. “With a total of 761 learners, the school has 36 teachers and in terms of laid down ministerial staffing norms, it qualifies for only 27 teachers, meaning that it is thus above norm with nine teachers,” //Hoeseb emphasised.
-sklukowski@nepc.com.na