What a shame!
22 November 2018 | Columns
Linus Shashipapo Secondary School is falling apart and is in a disgusting state.
This Kavango East school was started in 1974 and accommodates over 600 learners.
However, the state of the infrastructure right now is appalling and is putting massive strain on teaching and learning.
Classroom ceilings appear to be ready to collapse at any time, while there are massive cracks in the walls.
Roofing has also blown off and remains unrepaired since 2015.
The hostel has an unbearable smell and about 480 learners have to endure this on a daily basis, as we reported yesterday.
Although government has promised to fix this mess by next year, the situation really highlights the shame of the rot choking learners in public schools, especially in rural areas countrywide.
The majority of our people, especially those in the rural areas, already have to put up with an inferior education system.
It is a ruinous state of affairs, which has spread throughout the system, including through high levels of maladministration and the downgrading of the quality of education.
How do we really expect learners to focus on their education under such difficult conditions?
The education authorities, as well as the department of works, have an obligation to ensure that education programmes continue uninterrupted and that learning takes place in a conducive environment free from decay, disuse and neglect.
It is not only Linus Shashipapo Secondary School that is in dire straits.
Many rural schools across our nation are faced with the same challenges and therefore a proactive engagement, where the needs on the ground are assessed well in advance and addressed timeously, is crucial to tackle this rot.
There must be regular inspections and an infrastructure fund must be ring-fenced for priority upgrades.
Rural schools equally deserve more attention and should receive the same treatment as schools in urban areas.
This Kavango East school was started in 1974 and accommodates over 600 learners.
However, the state of the infrastructure right now is appalling and is putting massive strain on teaching and learning.
Classroom ceilings appear to be ready to collapse at any time, while there are massive cracks in the walls.
Roofing has also blown off and remains unrepaired since 2015.
The hostel has an unbearable smell and about 480 learners have to endure this on a daily basis, as we reported yesterday.
Although government has promised to fix this mess by next year, the situation really highlights the shame of the rot choking learners in public schools, especially in rural areas countrywide.
The majority of our people, especially those in the rural areas, already have to put up with an inferior education system.
It is a ruinous state of affairs, which has spread throughout the system, including through high levels of maladministration and the downgrading of the quality of education.
How do we really expect learners to focus on their education under such difficult conditions?
The education authorities, as well as the department of works, have an obligation to ensure that education programmes continue uninterrupted and that learning takes place in a conducive environment free from decay, disuse and neglect.
It is not only Linus Shashipapo Secondary School that is in dire straits.
Many rural schools across our nation are faced with the same challenges and therefore a proactive engagement, where the needs on the ground are assessed well in advance and addressed timeously, is crucial to tackle this rot.
There must be regular inspections and an infrastructure fund must be ring-fenced for priority upgrades.
Rural schools equally deserve more attention and should receive the same treatment as schools in urban areas.
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