70 pupils per classroom at Ndama Combined School

A SEVERE shortage of desks and chairs at the Ndama Combined School in the Kavango East region has forced many learners at the school to sit on the bare floors.

A few relatively lucky ones make use of empty maize meal bags to sit on.

The school, located less than 10 kilometres east of Rundu, is also battling an overcrowding of learners, with some classes accommodating 70 pupils each. It has 2 420 pupils in Grades 1 to 10, who are taught by some 74 teachers.

One session in the morning and one session in the afternoon are held to accommodate all learners.

Nampa observed how learners scramble for the limited desks and chairs available, something that teachers say makes it difficult to maintain and enforce discipline among learners.

Some teachers, who preferred not to be identified, said teaching and learning have become difficult as they cannot move around freely to help learners individually with school work.

The teaching task becomes even more difficult when it comes to marking test papers.

The teachers suggested that the school be split into two: Grades 1 to 7 and Grades 8 to 10.

Acting director of education in the region Christine Shilima told Nampa on Tuesday that the regional directorate is aware of the overcrowding at the school.

“It is not that we are not trying to address the issue of Ndama, but with the little funds we have, we are trying to address the issue of a lack of chairs at all schools in the region,” she stated.

She said 120 chairs were allocated to the school in April this year, and advised schools to fix broken chairs and desks.

She noted that proposals have already been submitted to the ministry to address the issue of the Ndama Combined School’s overcrowding. However, funds for this project have not yet been approved.

Shilima further called on stakeholders, individuals and private businesses to assist the ministry in procuring chairs for the school as government cannot do it alone.

She noted that plans are underway for a government school to be constructed at the Tuhungireni settlement at Rundu.

– Nampa

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