The Namibia Correctional Service (NCS) on Thursday handed over four pre-primary classrooms constructed at the MH Greeff and Gammams primary schools to the Khomas Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture as part of the government’s public-to-public partnership agreement.
Each school received two classrooms constructed at a cost of N.dollars 400 000 per school under a project that emanated from an engagement between the NCS and the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture during a meeting regarding accommodation needs for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security in February 2019.
In his statement read on his behalf, NCS Commissioner General Raphael Hamunyela said the construction of the classrooms started on 10 September 2019 after NCS signed a memorandum of understanding with the Khomas education directorate for the construction of classrooms, libraries and science laboratories at selected schools in the region. Subsequently, a total of 12 projects at nine different schools were allocated through which 17 classrooms, two libraries and science labs, as well as one ablution facility, would be constructed at a total cost of N.dollars 4.2 million.
The construction itself is done by offenders which according to Hamunyela is part of the NCS core-functions of rehabilitating and reintegrating offenders back into society as law-abiding citizens.
“Under this approach, the NSC devised strategies to intensify programmes that could give meaningful and practical skills to offenders to cope with life serving time in a correctional facility, of which one is vocational training under which construction falls,” he said.
Fourteen inmates comprising nine trained in building construction, two in joinery and three in metal works supervised by six officers were involved in constructing the classrooms at the two schools.
Khomas regional director of education, Paulus Nghikembua highlighted the significance of the initiative taken by NCS, saying construction of conventional classrooms does not only provide a conducive teaching and learning environment but models the future they desire to see and prepares learners to be relevant in the 21st century.
He informed that the learner population in Khomas increased by 2.3 per cent between 2020 and 2021 – a growth from 94 999 learners to 97 176 learners, noting this shows the ever-increasing demand for education.
Receiving the classrooms, education deputy minister Faustina Caley lauded NCS for its contribution and called on the private sector to likewise support the cause of education in the country.
“Quality education is the backbone of national development and an investment in education is an indispensable and long-term investment,” she said.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
