WALVIS BAY - About 600 first graders at Walvis Bay might not be going to school in 2020  due to classroom shortage unless extra classrooms are constructed at the coastal town.  

This grim picture came to the fore on Wednesday at a meeting the parents of the first graders and pre-primary learners for next year attended. 

Nine government primary schools and three government-funded private schools accommodate 1 908 first graders of whom about 400 could only be accommodated late in February this year after the Namport primary school was constructed in Kuisebmond. The education director for Walvis Bay circuit, Monica Gawises, appealed to parents especially those residing at Walvis Bay to enrol their children as early as possible due to space constraints being experienced in schools.  She told New Era that enrolment figures for grade one learners continue to increase drastically annually and this has become a major challenge for government schools at the town.

Gawises explained that Walvis Bay only has space for 1 510 grade one learners of which 392 are already reserved for learners attending pre-primary.

Spaces available at the government schools are as follows: Kuisebmond primary school (40), Tutaleni primary (152), Seaside primary (36), Namport primary (324), Narraville primary (140), !Nara primary (20), Immanuel Ruiters (233), JP Brandt at Utuseb (38) and Flamingo primary (65).

Gawises added the enrolment figures for grade one stood at 1 830 in 2018 while this year’s learners are currently 1 908.
About 740 first graders were put on the waiting list last year of whom about 500 could only be accommodated after the Namport primary school was constructed.  They could however only start school in February this year.  The school is also expected to introduce the platoon system next year to accommodate all learners. 

 “We expect the enrolment figures for 2020 to be higher than this year. Hence we are appealing to parents especially  those residing in Walvis Bay to enrol their children as soon as possible as space is limited,” she explained.
Gawises pleaded with the private sector to assist them in constructing at least another school at the town to ensure that all learners are accommodated.

“We really need the private sector to come on-board to help ensure that every child can be accommodated,” she said. 
 Enrolment for grade one will take place on June 4.  

Learners must turn six years before or on December 31, 2019 to be enrolled. Parents must enrol learners themselves and must have their identity documents at enrolment. 

A full birth certificate and two passport pictures are required and the child should be enrolled at the closest school.  Guardians who enrol children should have proof of guardianship, also death certificate of deceased parents in order to enrol children.
Enrolment for pre-primary will take place on June 6 and children should turn five before or on December 31.