By: Justicia Shipena

Oshikoto education director Alexandrine Eises says learners have 15 days to report to schools or lose their place.

According to her, some of the learners placed and given admission last year did not yet turn up.

“Which means we have to wait for them for 15 days to see whether we can place the new learners. Unfortunately, we are not keeping a waiting list. We will only inform the parents after 15 days.”

She added that the 15 days statistics will guide establishing whether schools in the region still have space.

“When it comes to grade 10, learners apply and are placed at different schools, but then it occurs that some learners don’t want a place at certain schools, and that is where the challenge is,” she said.

Eises further said they are working on finding a school that suits each learner in terms of location.

“In the Oshikoto region, we only have 10 government hostels while we have more than 75 000 learners, so it’s a challenge to get learners into the hostels. We are already full to the stream and beyond.”

Eises stated that the region did 90% of its

placement last year for grade 1, 8 and 10 learners.

“We did some additional placements end of last week for grade 10 learners. Most of the learners who applied were placed at the schools. The only people from other regions who did not apply their children but once can say it is 0.1% and it is only happening in the schools of Oshivelo circuit and Tsumeb ,” she said.

Further, she said most of the parents seek places in the hostel.

“Parents don’t understand that we cannot squeeze the learners in the hostels. We cannot add 2L in a 1L bottle,” she said.

However, Eises said, the placements are going well.

“We are not having many challenges, but there are here and their parents coming to the regional office, but we are helping where we can.”

Eises expressed that 80% of the new grade 11 learners are not back at school.

“The matter on the ground is stable and manageable. We don’t see a big influx and long queues of parents standing in front of the offices.”

Josephine Mutenda, Otjozondjupa education director, said the placement situation in the region is under control.

“Where we have hiccups, we go to the schools to head count, and I counted a few learners in some of the classrooms, then we place more learners. We are trying to manage the situation,” she said.

Mutenda added that parents are coming to the regional office.

“But it is still early in the year, so we tell them not to panic. We are going to place every learner in the Otjonzondjupa region.”

Mutenda further said it had been a norm for parents to flog at the regional offices and schools.

“But we always resolve the problem.”

She said the teaching and learning are in full swing.

“The teachers have started teaching, and even for the grade 1 learners and pre-primary they have started. The teachers have prepared. So everything is under control, and inspectors are everywhere in the schools helping where needed,” said Mutenda.

Ohangwena education director Isak Hamawti told The Villager that the regional office had not received complaints on placements for grade one and eight learners.

“If I have not received any complaints, the admission is going well, or complaints are yet to come. Now we are in the second of reopening but no complaints,” he said.

Hamatwi added upon visiting schools in the region; he said the schools are dealing with the rewriting of the grade 11 and 12 examinations.

“This is a challenge to the teachers because they have to pay attention to the invigilation of the exams while also attending to the other learners,” he said.

The National examinations for grade 11 and 12 learners faced a leakage last year, resulting in learners rewriting.

This examination has commenced and is scheduled to end later this month.

Moreover, he said the region is facing placement challenges for grade 10 learners.

“We found ourselves having an excess, and we have to place them in schools with little space left,” he said.

The education office has said parents are not crowding their office regarding placement issues in the Kunene region.

“They are not flogging here. They are very scarces. I have noticed some parents coming here and noticed very little. They are being dealt with at the school level.”