Walvis Bay circuit ready for new school year

Walvis Bay education circuit inspector Theresia Goagoses on Friday said the circuit is ready for the 2024 school year.

Goagoses said proper planning was executed in 2023 to ensure all pupils will be accommodated in 2024 without any challenges.

Most Grade 1 pupils on the waiting list were placed at different primary schools in October, while plans are underway to build a senior primary school at Kuisebmond to ease the burden of a shortage of classrooms for Grade 1 pupils.

The new school will accommodate pupils from grades 4, 5, 6 and 7.

“We introduced the platoon system at the !Nara Primary School for this year. It will cater for Grade 1 learners from the High Hope Primary School. They will be taught by their teachers in the afternoon and still wear High Hope Primary School uniforms.

They will then be moved back to their school when the senior primary school is completed. By then, the grades 4 to 7 pupils will make space for them when they move to their new school. The new school will be located opposite the service station near High Hope Primary School.

“Construction was supposed to start last year, but was delayed due to some logistical challenges. !Nara Primary is the only primary school at Kuisebmond without the platoon system. That is why we are using that school,” she said.

The new school will consist of 24 classrooms.

Meanwhile, the construction of a new secondary school was recently completed at Narraville, which will offer grades 7, 8 and 9 classes, while the curriculum will be extended to Grade 10 next year.

One Grade 7 Otjiherero class will be moved from Seaside Primary School to the new secondary school to make space for one Grade 1 Otjiherero class.

All the pupils that were doing Oshikwanyama at the Seaside Primary School will also proceed to the new secondary school.
Two Grade 9 groups from Flamingo Secondary School consisting of 40 Afrikaans and accounting pupils and 40 agriculture and Afrikaans pupils, will also be moved to the new school.

Seven compulsory subjects including Afrikaans, English, mathematics, life science, physical science, geography and history, as well as two choice subjects – accounting and agriculture – will be offered at the school.

Entrepreneurship will be compulsory for all pupils.

“Eight teachers were already appointed for the new school, with some transferred from other regions. We interviewed one head of department for mathematics and science, while the head of department post for languages will be re-advertised soon. A principal post will also be advertised soon,” said Goagoses.

De Duine Secondary School acting principal Anton van Wyk will be the guardian principal for the new school until the appointed head of department for mathematics joins the school. The head of department will take over from Van Wyk as acting principal until a permanent principal is appointed.

David Groenewaldt will act as principal at De Duine Secondary School.

The new school situated next to De Duine Secondary School will start on 22 January, while the Grade 1 platoon system pupils from !Nara Primary School will also start later due to logistical issues.

The Namibian spoke to parent Natalia Sakaria who burst into tears of joy at the Walvis Bay circuit office on Friday after being informed that her child was already placed for Grade 1.

“It feels really good. I am relieved. I have been trying and hoping that my child will find space,” she said.