Parents urged to take charge these holidays

With over 500 teenage pregnancies reported in the Kavango East Region in 2020 and an increase in gang-related criminal activities, regional education director Fanuel Kapapero has called on parents to take charge of their children during school holidays.In an interview with Namibian Sun, Kapapero said learners should use the month-long school holidays - which commenced on 10 June and will run until 17 July – productively, urging parents to take responsibility.“The learners have been at school for close to six months and now they are back home. I want the parents to take charge. Parents must take responsibility for their children,” he said.“Many times during the holidays, I see children moving [around] at night. The situation is actually worse [than during school terms]. Therefore, I want parents to take care of their children and ensure that they are home.“But also, the children themselves, you have lost out a lot over the past two years and some of you don’t have holiday classes and do not use this time to do revision.“It will be irresponsible for them to do nothing. Children need to be engaged; their minds need to be engaged at all times,” he said.Criminal activitiesKapapero said he is aware of young learners, especially in Rundu, who are involved in criminal activities, an issue that requires serious intervention from both parents and the community.“Some of them are now involved in many criminal activities, beating fellow community members and robbing them of their valuables such as cellphones,” he said.For years, it has been reported that Kavango East and Kavango West record the highest number of teenage pregnancies in the country.Girls as young as 11 and 12 have been recorded falling pregnant, with poverty identified as the biggest contributing factor. Young girls fall prey to older men with money and become pregnant, statistics show.Prey on the vulnerableNamibian Sun previously reported that Rundu schoolboys were caught selling cheap whisky sachets to fellow learners, while others have been accused of forming gangs that prey on vulnerable women as targets of theft.Most of the attacks reportedly take place at night – especially in areas of Rundu that lack sufficient street lighting or are located far from police stations.Kapapero called on parents and the community to stand together to ensure learners are kept preoccupied with productive activities these holidays.kenya@namibiansun.com

Parents urged to take charge these holidays

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Namibian Sun 2022-07-04

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Parents urged to take charge these holidays

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Namibian Sun 2022-07-04

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