The governor of the Kavango East Region Bonny Wakudumo said the rapid increase of urban migration to Rundu has led to the over 1000 learners not getting placement at various schools in the Rundu education circuit this year.
Wakudumo made the statement at a press conference here on Wednesday, where he explained why the over 1000 learners who failed to get placement this year are now being taught in 20 tents that the directorate of education in the region had to set up at the Rundu Trade Fair Centre this week.
“The total population of Rundu is now at 105 785, which means that over 64 per cent of the residents of the Kavango East Region reside in Rundu. The region has recorded a growth rate of 1.69 per cent per year,” he said.
The region, he added, has a total number of 73 767 learners, of which 36 832 are in Rundu, which puts pressure on the existing school infrastructure.
The Rundu circuit management committee, the governor said, realised that the number of learners has increased, as senior primary schools fielded many learners going to secondary schools.
This, he said, is also the reason why the Rundu education circuit has the highest learner/teacher ratio of one teacher to 60 students, causing overcrowding.
To address the problem, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture availed an amount of N.dollars 20 million in 2022 for the construction of additional classrooms, with specific emphasis on schools offering advanced subsidiary level, he added.
Councillor for the Rundu Rural Constituency, Paulus Mbangu, said other options to address the challenges of school and classroom shortages are to upgrade some settlements to villages and towns, in order to minimise migration to Rundu.
“Rural areas are under-developed but there are plans in place to for example to upgrade Divundu, which has been a village council for 16 years now, to a town council, while Ndiyona settlement will be upgraded to a village council,” he said.
A consultant was also appointed last year to go and carry out a study at Kayengona, Muroro as well as Ndonga Linena villages to see if they cannot be declared as settlements, he added.
(NAMPA)
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
