Osire
The Acting Director of Education for Otjozondjupa Region, Albertina Nangolo, has dismissed as false reports that the primary and secondary schools at the Osire refugee camp were set for closure.
It has been speculated that the schools will close after the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Lawrence Mgbangson, two weeks ago announced withdrawal of the UN agency’s humanitarian support to refugees in the country.
UNHCR’s support is being withdrawn because the number of refugees in the country has drastically declined to below 5 000.
The withdrawal is also due to the fact that Namibia is now categorised as a middle-income country and is therefore expected to have the capacity to assume its international obligation of looking after refugees through line ministries and the refugee commissioner’s office.
New Era last week spoke to some learners at Osire, who confirmed their worries at the speculation that the schools were slated for closure.
“We just heard the school will close as well but we are not sure if it is true. We are just hoping it doesn’t close because a lot of us we will be affected,” said a learner who only identified herself as Jolly, a refugee from Congo. Jolly fears that closure of the schools would only increase the already rife teenage pregnancies at Osire. Quashing the closure speculation, Nangolo said: “We just provided food to the schools few weeks ago, and we are about to deliver more as per request from the schools. And if the schools are closing why would we be doing that?”
The acting education director said the schools are producing some of the best-performing learners in the region.
Osire Primary School has an enrolment of 750 learners, while the secondary school has about 312, New Era learnt. There are 40 teachers for both schools – six of them Namibians and the rest refugees.
Nangolo assured that for now there will be no problems regarding the schools’ operations, as they were well informed by UNHCR regarding its operations which are coming to an end.
“When we were informed we made proper arrangements to apply for a special permit for refugees’ staff so that they can have an extension to teach until December. Only then is when I can foresee problems but otherwise for now everything is taken care of,” stated Nangolo.
Furthermore, she said once their term comes to an end they will advertise the positions so that they can attract Namibians to fill up the positions.