Officials from the Office of the Ombudsman, led by ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha, recently visited Ndama East Primary School at Rundu, where teaching and learning take place under trees.
The school was established by community members in 2022 and cannot accommodate all 630 students and 15 volunteer teachers. Pupils are taught under 13 big trees around the three corrugated iron sheet classrooms that constitute the school.
Utjitiraije Mberirua, the chief complaint investigator in the Office of the Ombudsman, said their visit to the school was prompted by complaints from the Ndama East community, who are not happy that education continues to take place under trees – at times during harsh weather conditions.
“As the Office of the Ombudsman, we are mandated to see to it that the rights of children are protected. This prompted us to visit the school to familiarise ourselves with the situation on the ground,” Mberirua said.
The investigator said upon arrival at the school, they found pupils being taught under trees, with some sitting on the bare ground and others on tree trunks. The school also does not have proper chalkboards. Instead, big metal plates serve as makeshift chalkboards.
The Ndama East community and Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture have been involved in a dispute for close to three years, after the ministry directed the construction of a school at Ndama South, instead of Ndama East as per their initial plan.
Mberirua said officials from the Office of the Ombudsman met with the regional education director and senior officials as well as the Kavango East governor, who told them they are ready to build a school at Ndama East, provided the Rundu Town Council makes land available.
The director has reportedly been writing letters to the council in this regard, but did not get any response.
“The director assured us during this meeting that the new minister has been informed about the school, and that five teaching posts have been budgeted for. A temporary headmaster will also be appointed, while the directorate engages council to avail land to the ministry,” Mberirua said.
A volunteer teacher at the school, Ndara Asser, said they were informed that the ministry was going to erect tents last week, and yet none of that has happened.
“It’s rainy season now and classes get disrupted. At times we are forced to squeeze learners into the corrugated iron classrooms which are not conducive to learning,” he complained.
The school is also challenged with availability of water, forcing teachers to carry water in containers from their homes to school every day.
Regional education director Christine Shilima said on Sunday she is still waiting to hear from the Rundu Town Council to grant approval on the availability of land.
“I am not allowed to erect tents on the school premises without approval. Up to now, the council has not responded on the issue,” Shilima said.
On enquiry, council CEO Olavi Nathanael said on Sunday the land allocation process is underway and the council will communicate its decision to the directorate upon completion of all necessary approvals.
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