Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Minister of Education, Sanet Steenkamp, has officially inaugurated 20 classrooms and 20 storerooms across five schools in the Ohangwena Region, with a total value of N$8 million.
The beneficiary schools are Shakela Shimbwa Primary School, Ohamalila Primary School, Mateus Nakatumbe Primary School, Ohamaala Primary School, and Festus Ikanda Primary School.
“These schools now offer Pre-Primary to Grade 2 or 3, with 474 learners enrolled, supported by 17 teachers and 5 support staff. This is a deliberate effort to ensure that children in their formative years have access to learning environments that are safe, inclusive, and stimulating, which is critical to addressing learning poverty from the earliest stages,” Steenkamp revealed.
INAUGURATED: Scenes from the classroom handovers. Photos: Ministry of Education.
She emphasised that these new classrooms will help alleviate the congestion in overcrowded classrooms, thereby enhancing teacher-learner interaction, improving academic performance, and restoring dignity and confidence among our learners.
“Today we gather not only to inaugurate new classroom blocks, but to affirm a powerful truth: this Government is present, this Government is responsive, and this Government is delivering for its people,” the minister added.
She also revealed that this is not the only action the Government is taking to address the challenge of overcrowded classrooms in the country. Steenkamp highlighted that earlier this month she presented a detailed national report to the Prime Minister on the issue.
“Overcrowding remains a national challenge, yes, but more importantly, it is a national priority, and we are acting decisively. Following a nationwide assessment, we identified all schools with enrolment exceeding 1,000 learners and developed a 5-year strategy to address this. As part of the strategic intervention, priority is being given to schools with enrolment above 1700 leaners,” she said.
In this regard, Steenkamp revealed that the Government intends to construct more schools in Kavango East, Khomas, Erongo, Otjozondjupa, and Zambezi regions during the 2025/2026 financial year. This investment is set to amount to more than N$198 million.
“This clearly demonstrates that the Government is committed to ensuring every learner has access to quality education, addressing overcrowding head-on, and investing in the future of our children and our nation,” Steenkamp added.
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