Namibia: Oshikoto's Education Directorate Still Stuck in Oshana

28 March 2024
New Era (Windhoek)
By Correspondent

Ondangwa — The Oshikoto region education directorate continues operating from offices in Ondangwa in the Oshana region, despite concerns over the associated costs.

In an interview with Nampa on Tuesday, Oshikoto education director Aletta Eises said her office has received numerous complaints and requests for it to be moved from Ondangwa to Oshikoto region.

However, she explained that in 2016, N$132 million was allocated towards constructing an office at Omuthiya in Oshikoto but after considering the poor school infrastructure in the region, they had opted to prioritise improving school premises for pupils instead.

"We are more focused on our pupils than having an office in the region," she said.

Eises said even though their office is based in Ondangwa, they remain focused on learners in Oshikoto region. She added that this arrangement has not affected their performance or that of pupils in the region.

Contacted for comment, the executive director of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, said the regional directorate has always been accessible but acknowledged that the ideal situation would be for the Oshikoto regional offices to operate from Omuthiya. However, she noted that such a move is currently not feasible.

Steenkamp provided historical context to the issue, noting the past separation of regions into Ondangwa West and Ondangwa East, with Ondangwa East covering Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions.

"With time, Ohangwena region moved to Eenhana where we were renting office space. Thereafter, with the prioritisation of the budget, we started with the construction of the offices which are soon to be completed and then we will turn to Oshikoto region, where a directorate office will be built in Omuthiya," she said.

She added that feasibility studies were conducted in 2016 and plans for the offices are in place, but due to a moratorium on office block construction, priority was given to Ohangwena to finalise the construction of the directorate office, before the construction of an office for the Oshikoto directorate starts.

Steenkamp also noted that in Omuthiya they have a museum, library resource centre, and the inspector's office, which is the nearest point of entry under the regional council for education in Omuthiya. -Nampa

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