Relief for Sinzongoro learners
A five-classroom block at the school was destroyed by fire in December, forcing learners to sit on the ground while attending lessons.
Learners at Sinzongoro Combined School in the Kavango West Region are no longer being taught while seated on the ground.
This is after the Namdeep Sea Consolidate Company, the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) through its various vocational training centres as well as MJ Tanko Investment last Friday donated chairs and tables to the school to salvage the situation.
About 130 learners from the school, who had to endure being taught in tents after a five-classroom block at the school was destroyed by a fire in December, were subjected to sitting on the ground while attending lessons.
Prior to the donations, social media was abuzz after pictures of the harsh conditions the learners endure were shared by stakeholders who castigated government and the education authorities for allowing the situation. Following the donations, Sinzongoro Combined School principal Travolta Sikongo expressed his gratitude to the donors during a handover ceremony, saying that a huge burden was lifted from the school.
Sikongo said was it was a bad experience to witness children seated on the floor, taking notes on their laps or lying on their stomachs just to be comfortable.
“On behalf of the teachers and learners, we are so happy for the donations and we appreciate the donors,” Sikongo said.
He however pointed out that the school still requires donations because a number of resources were destroyed in the fire, including office machines, sport kits and textbooks.
The school enrolled 520 learners this year, with 18 teachers and two support staff members.
Also speaking during the handover ceremony was NTA project manager Richard Kambinda, who shed light on how the NTA got involved.
Kambinda also called on fellow countrymen and women not to allow unconducive learning situations, saying business people and individuals should also play a role in addressing the challenges faced in the education sector.
“As a nation, we should never allow the sight of a Namibian child sitting on the floor or sitting under trees 30 years after independence. We therefore request businesses and individuals who would like to make a contribution to do so in response to the plight of the Namibian child. As NTA we stand to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” Kambinda said. Regarding the reconstruction of the classroom block, it is said that the NTA has been tasked with the construction.
Kenya Kambowe
This is after the Namdeep Sea Consolidate Company, the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) through its various vocational training centres as well as MJ Tanko Investment last Friday donated chairs and tables to the school to salvage the situation.
About 130 learners from the school, who had to endure being taught in tents after a five-classroom block at the school was destroyed by a fire in December, were subjected to sitting on the ground while attending lessons.
Prior to the donations, social media was abuzz after pictures of the harsh conditions the learners endure were shared by stakeholders who castigated government and the education authorities for allowing the situation. Following the donations, Sinzongoro Combined School principal Travolta Sikongo expressed his gratitude to the donors during a handover ceremony, saying that a huge burden was lifted from the school.
Sikongo said was it was a bad experience to witness children seated on the floor, taking notes on their laps or lying on their stomachs just to be comfortable.
“On behalf of the teachers and learners, we are so happy for the donations and we appreciate the donors,” Sikongo said.
He however pointed out that the school still requires donations because a number of resources were destroyed in the fire, including office machines, sport kits and textbooks.
The school enrolled 520 learners this year, with 18 teachers and two support staff members.
Also speaking during the handover ceremony was NTA project manager Richard Kambinda, who shed light on how the NTA got involved.
Kambinda also called on fellow countrymen and women not to allow unconducive learning situations, saying business people and individuals should also play a role in addressing the challenges faced in the education sector.
“As a nation, we should never allow the sight of a Namibian child sitting on the floor or sitting under trees 30 years after independence. We therefore request businesses and individuals who would like to make a contribution to do so in response to the plight of the Namibian child. As NTA we stand to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” Kambinda said. Regarding the reconstruction of the classroom block, it is said that the NTA has been tasked with the construction.
Kenya Kambowe
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