Erongo Region Education Director Erenfriede Stephanus has encouraged parents in the region to enrol their children at boarding schools in the rural areas in order to avoid overcrowdedness in town schools.

in a recent interview, Stephanus told Nampa that most parents flock to enrol their children at the coastal schools of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay and as a result, are forced to look for accommodation or risk being on waiting lists as schools are already full.

“Parents should really make use of rural schools because at least there, a parent can sleep peacefully and at ease, knowing their that their child has a safe place to stay and has three meals to eat every day,” she said.

She noted that in most cases, it is parents from northern regions who prefer to make use of these boarding schools such as Katora and !Oe #Gab Primary schools in the Omaruru circuit due to their facilities.

The education director noted that currently, the region is faced with a shortage of not only classrooms but schools as well as there is a persistent shortage of classrooms every year.

“This year we would like to build about 58 classrooms which include 12 standard classrooms as well as two projects schools attached to other schools,’ she said, adding that Westside High School in Swakopmund will be converting two garages into classrooms while an additional 63 teachers are also required in the region as a result of the expansion of schools.

Stephanus noted that the need to construct more schools rather than classrooms stems from the fact that schools are now overcrowded which poses challenges for the school principals.

“So we would rather decongest schools by building project schools in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.”

The placement process of learners in grades 1, 8 and 10 is still ongoing and Stephanus expressed hope that the process should be completed by 01 February and that all learners will be attending school by then.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency