The Kavango East Region Education Director, Fanuel Kapapero, said although all schools in the region are ready to open on Wednesday, two new schools in Rundu are challenged with a lack of classrooms.
These schools, he told Nampa on Tuesday, are Siguruguru Junior Primary School and Ngcove Primary School.
The education ministry suspended face-to-face teaching and learning in June this year due to a spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths across the country.
Government last year took charge of Siguruguru Junior Primary School, which was established and run by community members, after it could not be approved and registered due its establishment on illegal land.
“We cannot build proper structures because of the Rundu Town Council’s involvement in the land dispute. We are just planning to put up more tents for the school,” Kapapero said.
He said at Ngcove Primary School which was opened last year, the government is busy constructing a number of classrooms as the school will in future become a combined school due to the large number of people residing at Ndama informal settlement.
He said in a joint initiative last week Friday with the Namibia National Teachers Union, a vaccination campaign was launched, encouraging teachers to get vaccinated as they resume face-to-face learning.
The director said the campaign set to target at least 2 000 teachers only saw 30 vaccinated thus far.
Meanwhile, Rundu Secondary School principal Lorraine Kruse said her school started with registration of learners Monday, adding that all teachers returned with exception of three staff members who passed on due to COVID-19.
The school lost a teacher who taught Rukwangali and two hostel workers.
Kruse said in order for the school to observe social distancing, all Grade 11 and 12 learners are expected back as they are writing external examinations.
“The Grade 10s we will teach in groups as we have classes going up to 50 learners,” she said.
The school has senior secondary learners only which is Grade 10 to 12. It has 1 408 learners and 54 teachers.
According to Kapapero, in total the region lost 10 teachers to COVID-19 – at Kehemu Primary School, Tushepenu Primary, Rundu Secondary, Noordgrens Secondary, Sikanduko Primary, Shamangorwa Primary, Dikungu Primary and Rundu Senior Primary.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
