Paulina Ndalikokule

NKURENKURU – Deputy education minister Dino Ballotti said the ministry will require about N$7 million to build 20 classrooms and remedy the problem of 814 learners taught from makeshift classrooms in Kavango West.

Ballotti made the remarks at the regional briefing with the directorate of education management while on an official visit to the region in Nkurenkuru on Friday.

“We only need an average of 20 classrooms to remedy this problem at an average cost of N$350 000 per classroom. We need N$7 million to fix the problem of learners going to school in a dignified manner. This must happen immediately,” he said.

He stressed that there should not be schools without permanent structures in Namibia.

Additionally, information of all makeshift schools across the country should be gathered as soon as possible for the ministry to start planning.

“We cannot be in a Namibia where we still don’t have learners going to school in a structure. It cannot be. It’s not a statement of to try and be. Elections are done now. We don’t need anyone to vote at the moment,” he said.

He added that it will be impossible for the ministry not to fix that problem, as government is committed to ensuring that all learners are going to school in a dignified manner.

“It’s not good, but it’s information we need to hear. We are crunching numbers. It’s impossible that, as a ministry, we cannot remedy this problem,” he said.

The deputy minister applauded the region for its resilience and maintaining the status quo of being top-performing, despite facing challenges.

Ballotti promised to build an office for the directorate, which currently rents offices in the town.

“In this five years administration, there will be a directorate here with its physical premises – not in year one or two, but I think it’s overdue. We always say no one should feel left behind. I think it should also apply to Kavango West,” Ballotti said.

The education director in the region Pontianus Musore highlighted challenges faced by the region, such as schools without water, ablution facilities, old buildings that put learners and teachers at risk, and schools made from makeshift structures.

“Most of the schools with old buildings are old schools built a long time  ago. 

Some classrooms have fallen apart, to the extent that we were even advised to not use them anymore,” he said.

There are currently 185 schools in seven circuits, with 52 157 learners taught by 1 859 teachers in the region. 

Earlier this, year the councillor of Tondoro constituency Joseph Sivaku Sikongo called on government to do away with the  construction of zinc makeshift structures as classrooms, making reference to Mbuuru Primary School.

*Paulina Ndalikokule is an information officer at MICT Kavango West region.