ONGWEDIVA- The newly-appointed education director of the Omusati region, Paulus Kashiimbi, said the allocation of teachers is generally good because the region has made significant strides in filling posts, including the recent recruitment of 60 additional teachers in December 2024.
He confirmed that the new teachers have been placed at various schools, and the directorate is actively working to fill the remaining vacancies.
“We are indeed pleased to report that we have achieved a high rate of successful school placements for children across all grades in the Omusati region. The number of children without school placement is currently minimal,” he indicated.
Kashiimbi stated if there are children still in need of placement, parents are advised to register them at the inspector of education offices for placement.
“Overall, the schools in our region are functioning. We have seen a significant increase in learner enrolment, reflecting a growing emphasis on education within our communities. However, this increased enrolment has also presented some challenges that we are actively working to address,” he stressed.
He noted that the admissions are generally progressing smoothly because they have seen a steady influx of new learners, and working diligently to ensure all eligible learners have access to quality education.
“As with any new academic year, we face some typical challenges such as classroom capacity. Some schools, particularly those located in growing urban areas like Okahao and Outapi, are experiencing overcrowding due to an influx of residents.”
In addition, he said this is also evident in some secondary schools, which have seen a surge in enrolment following the region’s excellent performance in the previous year’s Ordinary Level and AS examinations.
“The strong academic performance of our secondary schools has led to increased demand for places at the Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level. For example, about 1 300 learners qualified for AS last year while this year, it is more than 1 700,” the director indicated.
Kashiimbi applauded the government because no learner is still at home due to a lack of classrooms.
“We are committed to ensuring all our schools are adequately staffed with qualified educators,” he said.