Pupils struggling for AS level space

In Windhoek, parents and pupils yesterday gathered at Jan Möhr Secondary School, hoping to register for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS).Victor Kamatuka had been queuing with other parents from early morning to register their children for AS, with many schools claiming to have run out of space.“We are struggling because all the schools are saying they do not have spaces for AS level,” said Kamatuka, who was trying to register his son.He hoped that the government would intervene and find space for their children.Also queuing was Joana Maria, who completed Grade 11 at Jan Möhr. She was hoping to get a place to complete her Grade 12.Maria told The Namibian that there is an advantage in having subjects at advanced level.“Some pupils may have only three subjects and some five subjects, which may be challenging, especially when one does not focus.“Because the lessons are longer, with so much content, they are more difficult. However, having some subjects at advanced level has so many advantages,” she said.Another parent, who declined to be identified, expressed her frustration after waiting in the queue for hours at Jan Möhr.“I have been sitting here for the longest time, without a clue whether my daughter will be registered,” she said.PLACEMENT IN PROGRESSOshikoto education director Aletta Eises said they are in the process of admitting 909 pupils who qualified for AS level.Eises said they are facing a challenge with pupils who have completed AS level from part-time centres and want to register for full-time studies.“We are now focusing on admitting the 909 pupils who have qualified. After the placement process, then we will tell whether there are spaces so that we can accommodate the rest of the pupils,” Eises said, adding that the admission is based on the subject fields the pupil did in Grade 11. “We also look at their age and other criteria. At the moment, we do not have the database on whether there are spaces or not,” she said.SPACES LIMITEDSpeaking to The Namibian yesterday, Ohangwena education director Isack Hamatwi said spaces in Ohangwena schools that offer AS level is limited, as the region has a few schools offering NSSCAS.These secondary schools are Dr Abraham Iyambo, Mwadikange Kaulinge, Eengedjo, Ongha, Haimbili Haufiku and St Odibo High School.Hamatwi said the region will admit all the AS level applications for those who have passed.“We are waiting for the statistics from the circuits on how many pupils want placements for the AS level for us to make arrangements,” he said.He urged parents and pupils to visit their respective circuits for their names to be sent to the regional office.Ongha Secondary School principal Simon Nghituwamhata told The Namibian that his school is admitting all the pupils who qualified for the AS level.Nghituwamhata said they “receive names from the regional office”.ADMISSIONS COMPLETEOmusati education director Ben Eiseb said his region has completed the admission for AS level and all pupils who qualified are admitted.Eiseb added that each NSSCAS class has 35 pupils, more than the recommended 25.He said the region received applications from pupils from other regions, but are ensuring that all students from Omusati region get placements.“I cannot say we do not have spaces in the region, but we are busy monitoring the situation to make sure everyone is accommodated,” he said.