RUNDU – Some of the schools at Rundu have resorted to the double session system to conform to social distancing as lower primary learners resume face-to-face classes.
Some classes will be offered in the morning and others in the afternoon.
Other schools will have the two groups attend class on separate days.
“We started well; the only challenge is that some parents didn’t turn up for us to inform them in which group they are. Group A will attend Monday and Tuesday and group B Wednesday and Thursday and on Fridays we are going to concentrate on slow learners of all grades,” said Christian Kauyu, the principal of Rundu Junior Primary School.
The principal of Sauyemwa Junior Primary School, Regina Haingura, said the school was conforming to all health protocols as directed by the ministry of education.
“We have a few months for the year to end, so we said all learners should come daily, but we have also noticed that some grades have less learners but those with a lot of learners, we grouped them into two groups. We have ensured a one-metre distance in the classrooms amongst learners,” she said.
“Grade 0 to 2 come to school in the morning session and grade 3 learners in the afternoons. There are 1 450 learners from grade 0 to 3; when the grade 4s come they will join the afternoon session. We do have a shortage of teachers.”
At Ndama Junior Primary School, there are about 1 398 grade 0 to 3s and they have also been grouped into a morning and afternoon session.
Ndama has always had a shortage of classrooms and social distancing of learners in classrooms has made it worse, but with regard to teachers the school principal Imelda Nanyemba said they have the capacity to cater for all the classes.
At Kehemu Primary School, the school principal Josef Domingu Gideon said they have grouped their learners into two groups whereby learners won’t be going to school daily.
They would thus attend class on separate days.
“For example we have arranged that group A comes on Monday and group B comes on Tuesday and it goes on and Friday is reserved for slow learners. Due to shortage of teachers we cannot have afternoon sessions unless teachers remain at school all day,” Gideon said.
“We have over 1 300 learners from grade 0 to 3. We don’t know how the situation will be when the grade 4 to 7 learners join us. They are about 1 600,” he added.
Despite the classroom space challenges, schools in Rundu have met the requirements to have the learners back. They have set up hand washing spots and tippy taps at the schools and are screening learners, teachers and visitors at the gates with the temperature check. – jmuyamba@nepc.com.na