RUNDU – Education inspector for the Rundu circuit Julia Kangungu said her office is dealing with a lot of unplaced grades eight, nine and 10 learners because the classes are not enough to cater to the demand, and they also have insufficient resources, such as teachers and school furniture. The circuit has 1 090 learners who have not been placed in classrooms.
The Rundu circuit has 49 primary and secondary schools, of which 15 are private schools.
Kangungu said the problem with Rundu circuit schools is that last year, they had a lot of grade seven classes at various schools, which now makes it difficult to find space for grade eight.
Some schools have 10 or more grade seven classes – and in those classes, there are about 40 to 80 learners in one class.
“We have few secondary schools to take in those learners,” Kangungu noted.
She also indicated the Rundu circuit ensured all junior and upper primary
learners were placed.
Education director Fanuel Kapapero assured parents there are urgent plans to construct a new secondary school, and that the solution at hand is to erect tents at the schools where those learners were last year.
Once the new school is completed later in the year, they will be moved all at once.
Kapapero said the budget was already available, and construction will begin in the near future.
“For now, please go back home with your kids while we sort out where we will put up these tents and get furniture. By the end of next week, you will be informed when the learners can attend class. Please bear with us,” he said.
“We are here with our children who are not placed. We were told they are going to build a school, but it doesn’t sound realistic, looking at the urgent situation; they could have done it long ago, as they saw the demand,” said one of the affected parents, Samuel Amukena.
“I’m a school board member of Kehemu Primary School; I see this situation has affected us, as parents, and I think we need to put our heads together as parents and education officials to see how we can ease the situation,” said Manfred Poroto.
Another affected parent, Natalia Kasanga, said she came to the gathering because she has a niece who needs space, as she moved from the village school, where she was in a
hostel.
Kasanga saw the need to move her niece because she needs to be in town, near medical facilities.
“I think even though they want to construct a new secondary school, it will not solve the problem; they must build more secondary schools in different areas of the town.
For instance, they can also build one at the edge of Ndama, where there’s ample land. Our planners in the education ministry must think ahead – looking at how the population is growing. Rundu has a serious problem,” said Theresia Mwambu, another concerned parent.