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Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - Web posted at 7:20:36 GMT Pandemonium as schools re-open CHRISTOF MALETSKYCHAOS reigned at many schools in Katutura and Khomasdal yesterday as parents bulldozed their way into principals' offices, demanding that their children be enrolled. |
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More than 500 000 pupils went to school yesterday, but hundreds still find themselves on waiting lists after overcrowded schools turned them away. Schools in Windhoek said the biggest problem is accommodating Grade one and Grade eight pupils. "Many parents say they were transferred [to Windhoek] late in the year. We are trying to help them," said AI Steenkamp Principal Pauline Awaseb. She was, however, quick to point out that there was no place for Grade one pupils at her school. Hundreds of parents dragged their crying and kicking grade-one children to schools throughout the city as early 06h00, but many were shown the door after lining up for hours. "They claim that they had put adverts in the paper last year but I never saw that," said one fuming mom as she grabbed her daughter and left the premises of a prominent primary school. A father said he had no control over his transfer to the city. He began his new duties in Windhoek on January 3. Classroom shortages have become a perennial problem but the Minister of Basic Education, John Mutorwa, said on Monday that all the pupils would eventually be accommodated, although they might miss out on the first few weeks of school. He said it was a Constitutional obligation to get all pupils at junior level (Grades one to eight) into school. The Ministry urged schools to put pupils on waiting lists and to forward the information to the regional office for co-ordinated placement in the next week or so. Many pupils who graduated from the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) as part-time pupils, and now want to go to school full-time, were shown the door at different schools in the city. "It is not very encouraging for those of us who want to come back [to the formal school system]," said one former David Bezuidenhout High School pupil who tried to enrol at a Katutura-based secondary school after a year with Namcol. "Maybe I should go back to Namcol. What a punishment I am going through," she said. She did not want to give her name, because she felt that might disadvantage her when she tries to enrol at another school or go back to Namcol. On Monday, around 400 pupils marched to the Katutura Youth International Hostel to demand placement in schools. |
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