Some parents of children attending school at Otjivero Combined School in the Omaheke Region have refused to send the pupils back, citing outstanding matters.
Concerned parents handed over a petition to the ministry in recent months demanding the removal of the school’s principal following allegations of misuse of school funds.
The Education Inspector, Elliakim Kavari, explained that the demands made by parents were forwarded to the head office for their attention.
He advised parents to send their children to school while awaiting the head office’s response, advising against depriving the children of their education.
“We’re waiting for the results now; their demand is that they want that report, and it can’t come in one day, so my plea to them was that they must bring kids back to school; the school must commence as all teachers are present here at school. I’m still pleading with them that education must continue and that they must wait for the response from the head office.”
One of the parents at Omitara Settlement, Willem Haoseb, also advised parents to return their children to school.
“The school must go on. It is a constitutional right for our kids to have an education. Why must other people, who are not even having kids, come and block our kids from going into the schoolyards? That’s why we came with our children. The school must go on because we don’t have problems.”
The spokesperson for the concerned group, Hendrik Windstaan, pointed out that parents have been waiting for feedback since the school holidays, to no avail.
Poor learner performance was another concern cited.
“What I’m pleading is that the government intervene in this situation because what can I show you in a report that looks like this? How can Wetvlei Combined (school) take this kid? No way, no school in this region will take this kid because this parent will stay with this kid next because it’s a repeater and it’s a problem.”
On the school’s performance, the Education Inspector, Elliakim Katunovandu Kavari, says an intervention is being worked on and a team of experts will provide support to the school.
Kavari has called upon parents to return scholars to Otjivero Combine School.
Only 50% of learners have reported back to school, as some parents are refusing to return learners given the pending updates regarding a recent petition handed over to the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture last month.
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