93 learners in a class
93 learners in a class

93 learners in a class

Ileni Nandjato
Less than a week into the new school year, Rundu's Ndama Combined School is facing multiple challenges related to overcrowding.

In one Grade 6 class there are 93 learners, most of whom have to stand for hours because of a lack of furniture and even sitting space on the floor.

According to the school's principal Fillipine Munkanda, Ndama Combined School this year registered 2 652 learners, which is 304 more than last year.

Munkanda said the average number of learners per classroom stands at 75, which is more than double the education ministry's staffing norm of one teacher per 30 pupils.





In the classrooms where learners have to stand the entire school day, the limited space also restricts teachers' movement around the room.

Some of the teachers spoken to said they were used to such conditions.

“Welcome to Ndama Combined School; we are used to this situation,” one teacher said jokingly.

Last year Namibian Sun also visited the school after parents complained about the situation there. At the time it was reported that there were 114 learners in one classroom.

When asked why the classrooms were so overcrowded, Munkanda explained that two classes had to be combined to free up a classroom because the number of learners from the feeder schools had increased.

Ndama Combined School has two feeder schools: Rundu Senior Primary School and Ndama Junior Primary School.

“The number of learners has increased as we have to accommodate the learners from the feeder schools,” Munkanda said.

Munkanda added that although the school had decided not to register learners from other schools this year, the demand for placement remained high.

The school has also adopted a platoon system for grade four and five pupils. Some of the learners attend classes from 07:00 to 11:00 and the others are taught from 12:00 to 16:00.

Munkanda said her teachers remained committed to providing children with quality education.

But she emphasised that more classrooms must be built urgently.

“We know about our challenges yet we are not deterred in carrying out our mandate,” she said.

Last year the school achieved a 70% pass rate, which included an 81% pass rate in the grade nine national examination.

When contacted for comment, Kavango East Region education director Fanuel Kapapero told Namibian Sun that the ministry planned to build a new school to ease the pressure on Ndama and other schools faced with the same problem.

Kapapero said the plan was to construct another primary school which would take over some of the grade four to seven classes from Ndama Combined School.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-07

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Premier League: Fulham 2 vs 1 Brentford Katima Mulilo: 22° | 36° Rundu: 20° | 31° Eenhana: 21° | 31° Oshakati: 21° | 31° Ruacana: 20° | 31° Tsumeb: 19° | 26° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 23° Omaruru: 20° | 32° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Gobabis: 19° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 12:28, High tide: 06:39, Low Tide: 00:56, High tide: 18:52 Swakopmund: 15° | 18° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:37, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:50 Walvis Bay: 15° | 24° Wind speed: 23km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:36, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:49 Rehoboth: 20° | 30° Mariental: 22° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 24° | 36° Aranos: 20° | 34° Lüderitz: 14° | 24° Ariamsvlei: 22° | 36° Oranjemund: 15° | 24° Luanda: 25° | 27° Gaborone: 19° | 27° Lubumbashi: 17° | 33° Mbabane: 13° | 24° Maseru: 12° | 25° Antananarivo: 14° | 30° Lilongwe: 22° | 29° Maputo: 19° | 26° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Cape Town: 17° | 22° Durban: 16° | 23° Johannesburg: 15° | 26° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 31° Lusaka: 20° | 31° Harare: 17° | 30° Currency: GBP to NAD 22.47 | EUR to NAD 18.73 | CNY to NAD 2.43 | USD to NAD 17.37 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.25 | EGP to NAD 0.34 | KES to NAD 0.13 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.63 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.07 | RUB to NAD 0.18 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 133.29 | USD to AOA 909.05 | USD to BWP 13.4 | USD to EGP 49.25 | USD to KES 129.2 | USD to NGN 1668.91 | USD to ZAR 17.38 | USD to ZMW 26.9 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1858.03 Down -1.09% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14296.93 Down -0.02% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 31045.26 Up +0.82% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9878.53 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - 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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 675.86/OZ UP +0.44% | Copper US$ 4.37/lb UP +3.50% | Zinc US$ 3 086.30/T UP 3.57% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 75.13/BBP DOWN -0.005 | Platinum US$ 986.16/OZ UP +0.19%