Pupils fear they may not catch up

HILENI NEMBWAYA, OKERI NGUTJINAZO and TAATI NIILENGEAS schools around the country resumed with face-to-face classes from Grade 7 to 9 yesterday, a number of pupils at schools in the Oshana region fear they will not be able to catch up with lessons before the end of the school year.

Others fear contracting the virus.

Pupils also expressed the need for psychological support as learning continues despite the increase in Covid-19 cases countrywide.

Fiina Timoteus, a Grade 9 pupil at Control Combined School at Ongwediva, yesterday said she is happy to resume classes after not being at school for almost six months, but says she has lost some motivation to study.

“I really feel happy to be back. We missed out a lot on teaching, and now that we only have about two months before the school closes we are under pressure. The workload is a lot and teachers are rushing … We are not complaining, but it is really hard to grasp everything at once,” she said.

Another concerned pupil, Nameya Amutenya, said: “I have lost hope and it is also hard to adapt to this scary environment, you never know who is going to contract the virus next. Every day I come to school, I fear for the worst, and this thing of schools opening and closing suddenly is also affecting us.”

A number of teachers at various schools in the Erongo region have complained of a heavy workload, saying they are overworked.

Some teachers at Walvis Bay schools assured parents they would do their best to take care of their children.

“We are aware that most parents are a bit nervous, but we can assure them we have done our best to prepare ourselves. We will do our best to make sure your children are safe. We have a schedule that allows us to handle pupils in groups and there will be frequent episodes of washing hands. It will be okay,” Dominica Ortman Gawaseb, principal of the Immanuel Ruiters Primary School at Walvis Bay, said.

Jonathan Maswahu, principal of Kuisebmond Secondary School, yesterday said: “We would like to assure parents we have prepared for this day. We are here for your children. It would be good for them to check up on them after every day to find out how they feel. Please inform us when your child is not feeling well.”

Teachers say pupils were unusually quiet since arriving at schools yesterday, although their faces lit up upon seeing their teachers and fellow pupils.

“I am happy to see my friends and teachers. It was really boring at home. I have not held a pen in many days. I also really missed my teacher. It is good to be back. I am a bit scared, but the teachers told us that everything will be fine,” Grade 7 pupil Rodger Basson said.

Meanwhile, the Children’s Advocate and the Office of the Ombudsman supported the reopening of schools, noting that although the virus has spread to all regions, the country is in a better position to fight the virus.

A statement released yesterday by Aurelia David, spokesperson for the Office of the Ombudsman, said research by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) indicated that school closures carry high social and economic costs for people across all communities.

She said violence is rife in the Namibian context, and according to a situational analysis of children in Namibia, children of all ages are at the greatest risk of violence within the household.

“The protection of our children is of the utmost importance, and all possibilities of harm must be considered. It is just as important that our educational facilities are also protected, which the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has shown tremendous commitment to achieve,” she said.

David said the Children’s Advocate believes any crisis presents the opportunity to help them learn, cultivate compassion and increase resilience while building a safer and more caring community.

“Having information and facts about Covid-19 will help diminish students’, teachers’, parents’ and communities’ fears and anxieties around the disease and support their ability to cope with any secondary impact in their lives,” she said.

Precautions are necessary to prevent the potential spread of Covid-19 in school settings, but they are confident that schools are up to date with precautionary measures and have put these in place to protect the pupils, David said.