The education ministry says it expects significant school placement pressure in January due to infrastructure shortages and rising national pupil enrolments.
Khomas education director Paulus Nghikembua says placements for Grade 1 and Grade 8 remain a yearly challenge due to population growth.
"We aim to place everyone by finding space in existing schools, adding classrooms or using afternoon sessions," he says, adding that the only lasting solution is expanding infrastructure.
"Like in Khomas, you need to build three new schools every year."
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Deputy executive director of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Edda Bohn says the total number of pupils awaiting placement for the 2026 schoolyear will only be known after the first 15 schooldays.
"Our system is not IT based, therefore we have to wait until next year to know for sure whether there are pupils who didn't find space and how many they are," she says.
The education directorate says all Grade 1 and Grade 8 pupils in the Khomas region have been placed, with a small number of exceptional cases still being processed.
Education officer Hoster Simasiku says placement lists for both grades were finalised in November.
"There is a supplementary list of 16 Grade 1 pupils who were omitted due to technical challenges," he says.
"These pupils will be placed in January 2026 once school headcounts are completed."
Simasiku says fewer than 50 Grade 8 pupils remain outstanding due to omissions or missed placement outcomes, "and these cases are expected to be finalised by the end of January 2026".
Three new schools are under construction at Otjomuise, Havana and Next settlement, while phase two of Otjomuise Primary School is nearing completion.
Two more schools are planned for Otjomuise and Goreangab once land is allocated.
"The Otjomuise Primary School project is almost complete and will soon be ready to accommodate pupils," Simasiku says.
Oshikoto education director Hilma Nuunyango-George says the directorate is currently focusing on Grade 10 placements, with pressure coming from applications to boarding schools.
"Most pupils apply to boarding schools, but not all can be accommodated due to insufficient hostel space," she says.
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Otjozondjupa education director Gerhard Ndafenongo says 207 primary school pupils at Okahandja are still awaiting placement, largely due to spillover from Windhoek and late arrivals.
"We experience pressure every year because of unexpected last-minute arrivals," he says.
Ndafenongo says a new primary school costing nearly N$25.8 million is under construction, but will only be completed by March.
"We will register those children at the new school but use a current school to run the platoon system, where they will attend afternoon classes until their school is completed," he says.
Ndafenongo says additional classrooms have been added across the region to ease pressure.
"These classrooms were constructed in an effort to mitigate the overflowing of students while we have insufficient infrastructure," he says.
Omaheke education director Constance Wantenaar says Grade 8 placements remain a challenge at Gobabis and Otjinene due to a shortage of high schools.
She says approval has been granted for one new secondary school at each town, but construction will only start towards the end of 2026.
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