Overcrowding at Epako
The Epako Secondary School in Gobabis is facing a critical shortage of desks and chairs, which has left many learners sitting on the floor or do class work while standing, during lessons.
Nampa has learned that all 12 Grade 8 classes at the school are faced with this predicament.
The situation has forced learners to do class work standing, while many others opt to sit on the floor with their books. At least 10 learners are forced to go without desks or chairs in each of the Grade 8 classes. This has been the state of affairs since the beginning of the academic year. While teachers sympathise with the learners, they say there is nothing they can do other than carry out their mandate, which is to teach. Learners, who do not want to be named, told this news agency they are demoralised as they cannot do their school work properly. “How does the school expect us to do well in examinations if we have worked from the floor every day for close to a month now?” one learner asked.
Epako Secondary School principal, Dorcas Ndokosho, confirmed the situation. She attributed the shortage of desks and chairs to the high intake of learners in Grade 8 this year. Each class has between 45 and 47 learners. “The situation is really a cause for concern and we are equally concerned as educators about it,” she said. Ndokosho said the school had been making use of old school furniture, which it repairs, to assist the learners but such efforts have been a mere drop in the bucket in terms of addressing the matter. She noted that the matter has been reported to the Omaheke education directorate, who informed her they will be addressing it as a matter of urgency. “We are now relying on the regional office [of education] to do something about the situation. As for now, the situation remains the same,” she said.
NAMPA
Nampa has learned that all 12 Grade 8 classes at the school are faced with this predicament.
The situation has forced learners to do class work standing, while many others opt to sit on the floor with their books. At least 10 learners are forced to go without desks or chairs in each of the Grade 8 classes. This has been the state of affairs since the beginning of the academic year. While teachers sympathise with the learners, they say there is nothing they can do other than carry out their mandate, which is to teach. Learners, who do not want to be named, told this news agency they are demoralised as they cannot do their school work properly. “How does the school expect us to do well in examinations if we have worked from the floor every day for close to a month now?” one learner asked.
Epako Secondary School principal, Dorcas Ndokosho, confirmed the situation. She attributed the shortage of desks and chairs to the high intake of learners in Grade 8 this year. Each class has between 45 and 47 learners. “The situation is really a cause for concern and we are equally concerned as educators about it,” she said. Ndokosho said the school had been making use of old school furniture, which it repairs, to assist the learners but such efforts have been a mere drop in the bucket in terms of addressing the matter. She noted that the matter has been reported to the Omaheke education directorate, who informed her they will be addressing it as a matter of urgency. “We are now relying on the regional office [of education] to do something about the situation. As for now, the situation remains the same,” she said.
NAMPA
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