At least 1 760 teachers were recruited over the past four years while the number of classrooms increased from 1 550 to 1 836 during the same period.
Additionally, the introduction of Jolly Phonics and PE4Life in the Junior Primary phase has sparked a debate over teacher workload, with concerns that educators in overcrowded classrooms are being placed under increasing pressure.
The issue was raised in the National Assembly by Independent Patriots for Change parliamentarian Abed Hishoono, who questioned whether the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture could review the assessment requirements attached to the programmes and consider employing support teachers in overcrowded classrooms.
Hishoono said teachers, particularly those handling more than 40 learners, were already under pressure and that the additional planning, assessment, marking, feedback and filing requirements could leave them struggling to cope.
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Education minister Sanet Steenkamp, however, said Jolly Phonics and PE4Life were not additional subjects imposed on teachers.
She said both programmes had been incorporated into the minor revision of the Junior Primary curriculum and were embedded in the official syllabus, integrated planning manuals and daily and weekly planning structures.
Steenkamp added that Jolly Phonics provides teachers with a methodology for teaching foundational literacy using practical, multi-sensory and play-based approaches.
Meanwhile, PE4Life strengthens the delivery of the existing physical education syllabus through structured activities aimed at supporting motor development, attention, memory, emotional regulation and readiness to learn.
The minister argued that the programmes could ultimately make teaching easier by improving learner engagement, reducing the need to repeatedly explain concepts and supporting classroom management.
However, the workload concern extends beyond the programmes themselves.
Hishoono also questioned the continued use of informal assessment forms, particularly the requirement for teachers to record and track competencies reached by individual learners.
The minister defended continuous and formative assessment as an important part of early-grade education.
She said learners progress at different rates, and teachers need evidence to identify learning gaps and provide remedial support.
The education minister acknowledged that assessment could become demanding in overcrowded classrooms.
Steenkamp said the ministry is therefore reviewing the simplification of competency forms, the reduction of duplication and improved training on efficient classroom observation. Future digital options to streamline informal assessment are also being considered.
The debate comes as the ministry faces continued pressure to provide sufficient teachers and classrooms as enrolment increases.
The minister said teacher posts are being prioritised in areas with high enrolment, while staffing norms are being reviewed to ensure they respond to enrolment pressures and conditions in classrooms.
She said the ministry is also considering support-teacher models, including the use of teaching aides in selected schools.
Another measure being explored is the creation of structured internship pathways for unemployed qualified teachers.
Steenkamp said interventions are intended to address overcrowding while providing additional support to teachers working in high-pressure schools.
She indicated that staffing had already been expanded ahead of the 2026 academic year.
She revealed that 1 767 teachers were appointed, exceeding the stated target of 1 140 teaching posts. Other posts were also allocated, including positions for principals, administrative officers, cleaning staff, hostel matrons and librarians.
The additional staffing is being accompanied by an expansion of classroom infrastructure.
She further revealed that the number of classrooms increased from 1 550 in 2021 to 1 836, representing an increase of 286 classrooms.
The pressure is particularly visible in regions experiencing population growth.
The ministry's figures show that Namibia recorded an average annual growth rate of 3.2% between 2019 and 2025, while Erongo recorded a higher growth rate of 4.4%.
In Erongo, the ministry pointed to several infrastructure developments aimed at responding to growing demand.
Henties Bay has a new secondary school that was reported to be 93% complete, while Walvis Bay has a new primary school that was 73% complete. Another primary school in Walvis Bay is yet to commence.
Swakopmund also has new primary and secondary schools in DRC, while additional classrooms have been built at a temporary primary school.
The ministry's infrastructure response therefore runs alongside its staffing interventions, as schools attempt to accommodate increasing numbers of learners.
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Steenkamp said the ministry recognises the pressure faced by teachers, particularly those working in overcrowded classrooms and that its intention is not to burden educators but to equip them with tools to make teaching more effective and inclusive.
The ministry is also looking at targeted deployment of teachers to schools facing the greatest pressure, phased strengthening of early-grade staffing and possible expansion of support-teacher models.
The question of teacher workload nevertheless remains central to the debate.
While the ministry maintains that Jolly Phonics and PE4Life form part of the existing curriculum rather than additional subjects, teachers must still implement the programmes alongside assessment, planning and classroom management responsibilities.
She said the challenge is therefore to ensure that curriculum reforms intended to strengthen foundational learning do not become an additional administrative burden for teachers.
The ministry said these measures would be implemented within available resources and in line with national priorities.
