Shiny, happy kids as schools reopen

JOHN-COLIN NAMENE, SOPHIE TENDANE, CHARLOTTE NAMBADJA, TAATI NIILENGE, and CHARMAINE BOOISEXCITEMENT abounded yesterday as schools reopened across the country, but the reunion of teachers and pupils was bittersweet due to the absence of those who succumbed to Covid-19.

At the same time, social distancing remains a challenge.

Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School principal Herman Katjiuongua yesterday said: “Before the break we used to have about 25 pupils in a class, with teachers having to repeat lessons to two different groups. We are now faced with up to 50 pupils in one space from grades 8 to 10.”

Katjiuongua said the school has generally been able to adhere to health regulations, but added they would have to come up with a strategy to overcome the challenge of social distancing.

“Even today during break time, we found them in big groups, so we had to tell them to split into smaller groups. We also made sure that if they’re not eating, their masks are on. We are not giving up,” he said.

Katjiuongua said the school remains vigilant of teachers’ and pupil’s behaviour, and will keep directing the pupils to adhere to regulations.

The new school day brought mixed emotions as pupils attended a memorial assembly for a teacher who succumbed to Covid-19 in June.

Similarly, Delta Secondary School Windhoek held a memorial yesterday morning for one of their teachers who lost the battle against the virus.

“Regarding social distancing in class, it is very difficult, because the classroom spaces are too small. From grades 8 to 12, we are almost 900 pupils, and we cannot split the children into smaller groups, because we do not have the infrastructure,” Angelika Jacobie, the principal of Delta Secondary School, said.

“Today went very well. We are excited to be back and happy that we can continue with our school programme. We are now focusing on promotional subjects only. There are no extra-curricular activities,” she said.

At Walvis Bay, Immanuel Ruiters Primary School principal Dominica Ortman Gawises was excited to see the pupils.

“Whether people believe it or not, we could not wait for the schools to reopen. We love the children as much as their parents love them,” she said.

The principal of Kuisebmond Secondary School, Jonathan Maswahu, said although it will be a challenge, the school was happy to have the pupils back so that they can continue with their education.

“They have lost out on quite a lot of work – especially the external grades.

At the same time it brings a lot of challenges.

The directives now are that all the children are coming back.

“We also have the challenge of social distancing in our classes. Many classrooms are too small.

“The classrooms size is about 42 pupils in a small space. It becomes impossible for us to adhere to all the protocols,” Maswahu said.

Kuisebmond Primary School principal Herman Nakathingo said his school wants to keep the previous arrangement of children attending classes in shifts.

“We can manage very well in that way. We wrote a letter to the education office and hope we can continue that way,” he said.

Pupils yesterday said they were excited to interact with friends and teachers again.

“I really missed my friends and teachers and I wanted to learn. It was very boring at home. I kept asking my parents when I can wake up at 06h00 again to get ready for school, but they told me that it was dangerous because of corona,” pupil Grace Nambuli said.

Thomas Ampundja, another pupil, said: “I was so happy to see my friends and teachers again. It was not nice to be at home. I am praying that corona will go away and that schools will not close again.”

The Erongo region’s education director, Ernfriede Stephanus, yesterday said her team will be assessing and monitoring schools.

Christina Topnaar, the acting principal of AME Community School at Hoachanas at Mariental yesterday said: “The first day of school was exciting. I was very happy to see the faces of the pupils, as well as the teachers.

“Fortunately for us, no lives of our staff or pupils were taken by Covid-19, although some of the pupils have lost their parents.”