Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has called on members of the public to meet the government halfway in supporting poverty-stricken children.
Steenkamp was speaking in an interview with The Namibian in response to a video circulating on social media showing a Grade 1 pupil from Naiti Combined School at Okalongo, in the Omusati region, carrying an instant porridge packet as her school bag.
Steenkamp says she is familiar with many other cases of extreme poverty in the Ohangwena region, having served there as the education executive director for many years.
"We have to understand that the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture is already providing free education. Our teachers also go far and beyond the traditional teaching skills and their jobs and duties, and they end up digging into their pockets to ensure they support our pupils in terms of stationery, additional to what the government provides," notes Steenkamp.
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She says these are hard times and calls on parents to do their part.
"The government only pays for the most basic stationery, we provide stationery funds to the regions and we also provide subsidies to all the schools, so there is definitely a need for community members and parents to truly make sure they prioritise the needs of their children," she adds.
Hilma Akaambo is a life skills teacher at Naiti Combined School, and she notes that the school is challenged by inadequate housing for pupils, and as a result, they live in overcrowded conditions in poorly built structures, hindering their ability to study effectively and concentrate in school.
"Nutrition is another pressing issue. Children arrive at school hungry, and this severely impacts their concentration and cognitive development. It is not uncommon to see pupils dozing off during lessons due to a lack of proper nourishment," says Ankaambo.
She says some pupils are carrying a lot of responsibilities at home as they are left to act as primary caregivers to their younger siblings while parents are out at shebeens drinking alcohol.
"The absence of parental support leads to trauma and stress, negatively affecting their mental health, self-esteem and academic focus," she says.
She highlights that the majority of pupils lack basic necessities such as proper school uniforms, school bags and lunch boxes.
The school principal, Vaino Shimutwikeni, has reiterated the call for good Samaritans to assist the pupils in any way possible.
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