The doors of a newly established state primary school opened in Eenhana in the Ohangwena region on Monday for 284 learners and seven teachers from pre-primary to grade 2.

The Olivia Nakale Primary School, which started with two blocks of three and four classrooms each, is earmarked to complete the primary phase in 2027.

Each fully furnished classroom has the capacity to accommodate 40 learners. There are also two storerooms as well as the ablution facilities and it is electrified and connected to piped water. It was built to the tune of N$2 556 532.

 The school is located in Eenhana Town and is named after an education icon in the area and a former principal of the nearby Eenhana Primary School, Olivia Nakale.

The late Nakale dedicated her life to education for 30 years until her retirement from public service in 2018. She died in May 2020.

The school was established due to the high demand for primary education in Eenhana and parents and community members spearheaded its establishment.  

Speaking at the opening, the regional director in Ohangwena Isak Hamatwi indicated that it was not easy to establish the school in these trying times.

He said everything have been transferred from other schools and all seven teachers and the principal were redeployed from other schools, furniture and two blocks of classrooms as well as a block of toilets were diverted from three other schools with equal needs.

Hamatwi said the Ohangwena directorate will strive to build more classrooms at the affected schools in order to solve the classrooms shortage and also ensure that all learners have attended classes.

 He requested the teachers to look after the buildings and do their best to provide quality education as anticipated.

Hamatwi said due to multicultural diversity, the medium of instruction would be English.

The school is further earmarked to introduce computer skills to young learners, hence a need for a computer laboratory.

“Stakeholders are invited to join hands and support this initiative by donating computers and even the building itself,” he said.  -fhamalwa@nepc.com.na