ONGWEDIVA – Executive education director Sanet Steenkamp advised learners who were improving their grades at other institutions, including Namcol, to proceed to the next level at the same institutions as the mainstream schools have run out of space. 

The ministry of education is struggling to place pupils within the mainstream classes.

These are the learners who went to improve their grade 11 at Namcol after failing to obtain the required grades. Some of them now wish to return to mainstream education to proceed to the Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level.

There are about 150 returning learners who registered for admission at various schools in the Oshana region but could not be admitted due to limited resources.

In an interview with New Era, the education director in the region, Hileni Amukana said the admission of learners in the region is progressing well and almost complete, however, they are only facing challenges of returning pupils.

“There is a need for additional teachers, classrooms and materials for these learners,” she said.

But according to Steenkamp, that should not be a challenge as those learners can alternatively register with Namcol.

“With schools full, the next alternative would be for those candidates to register at Namcol, which government highly subsidise,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the region has also reached its placement capacity for pre-primary level.

“Since it is not a compulsory grade, learners can still go to community pre-primary centres and so on,” she stated.

For grade one admission, there are spaces identified at Ondiiyala Project School in Ondangwa.

Although the region has made provision for additional classes at Ekuku and Oshakati primary, some learners will still be going on the platoon system due to limited spaces.

“We do not want the platoon system but due to shortages of classrooms, we are forced to go to a platoon system. For example, at some schools, learners were taught in tents which was not conducive to the rainy season and other factors,” said Amukana.

Although all learners that applied for admission in the region are enrolled, the Ondangwa circuit is faced with the challenges of grade eight admissions.

Amukana said there are a lot of grade eight learners in the circuit.

Learners who are still searching for grade eight enrollment are informed to approach Mwadhina gwaNembenge and Evululuko Secondary School for admission.

The placement is complete for grades 10, 11 and 12 in the region.

She added that despite the placement success at some schools, there is not enough space to accommodate learners in hostels at the secondary level.

Amukana could, however, not ascertain the number of learners seeking hostel accommodation.

She then gave an assurance that the region will work around the clock to ensure that the affected learners get placement, as requested.

In the meantime, many schools are operating at full capacity. But there are a few schools that are using the time-based cohort method, as the number per class exceeds the teacher-learner ratio per class.

- ashikololo@nepc.com.na