Kavango west: The Kavango West Directorate of Education has recorded an increase in the enrolment of learners with special educational needs, rising to 181 this year from 107 in the 2025 academic year.According to Namibia Press Agency, Kavango West Regional Director of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Pontianus Musore, expressed the directorate's commitment to ensuring equal access to quality education for learners with special educational needs despite resource constraints. "We are committed to ensuring that every learner with special educational needs has access to quality education, even as we confront shortages and infrastructure gaps," Musore stated.The region currently operates specialised support units at two schools. Kahenge Combined School offers Learning Support and Intellectual Impairment programmes, while Leevi Hakusembe Senior Secondary School provides the Basic Pre-Vocational Skills Programme for learners with learning difficulties. At Kahenge Combined School, 35 learn ers are enrolled in the Learning Support Unit and 17 in the Intellectual Impairment Unit. Due to limited space, 16 learners are on the waiting list for admission to the Intellectual Impairment Unit for the 2027 academic year. Leevi Hakusembe Senior Secondary School has 129 learners enrolled in the Basic Pre-Vocational Skills Programme.The directorate has also recorded low dropout rates among learners with special educational needs. This year, Kahenge Combined School recorded three dropouts, while Leevi Hakusembe Senior Secondary School reported none. Although all schools are expected to implement the National Inclusive Education Policy, only the two schools currently provide specialised support programmes because of limited resources.Musore highlighted ongoing challenges, including a shortage of trained special education teachers, inadequate specialist support services, inaccessible infrastructure such as hostels and classrooms, limited assistive learning materials, poverty, and long travelling distances for learners. To address these challenges, the directorate plans to expand access to inclusive education, strengthen teacher capacity, improve accessibility, and introduce a Basic Pre-Vocational Agriculture Programme at Kahenge Combined School during the current academic year.Musore said the measures are aimed at improving participation and learning outcomes for learners with special educational needs. "Our focus is on practical measures that open doors for learners through more trained teachers, improved accessibility, and programmes that equip them with practical skills," he emphasized. He urged communities and development partners to work with the directorate to sustain progress. "With coordinated support, we can reach more learners and ensure that no one is left behind," Musore said.