The hostel of a school in Ohangwena Region, where learners have been hosted in tents, is finally getting decent hostel facilities, close to 10 years after the initial plan to build a hostel was mooted in 2007.
Ohangwena regional director of education Isack Hamatwi yesterday confirmed to New Era that a local contractor in joint venture with a Chinese company secured the tender and the site at Shituwa Senior Secondary where they will construct hostels and kitchen facilities.
“Yes, I can confirm that the site was handed over to the contactor on the first of this month and it will be constructed at an estimated cost of over N$90 million,” said Hamatwi.
He said construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. The planned building will consist of six hostel blocks, three of which will be the boys’ hostel and three for the girls.
In addition, the school will also get a dining hall and a kitchen during the first phase of the project. Existing, but dilapidated facilities will be revamped during the second phase.
In 2010, Shituwa Senior School in Endola Constituency was rated among the worst performing schools in Namibia. The high failure rate at the school was attributed to the deplorable conditions under which learners are living, as learners have been living in tents and this raised questions about supervision and safety at the school.
However, with the arrival of the new school principal two years ago, the school’s performance drastically improved from being the worst performer to the top best performing school in Onhangwena Region in 2015.
Ohangwena Region has at least 253 schools.
“I’m sure that with the current leadership in place and new decent infrastructure, Shituwa will be one of our schools of excellence in the region,” enthused Hamatwi.
During his recent State of the Region Address, Ohangwena Regional Governor Usko Nghaamwa singled out the construction of a hostel and kitchen at Shituwa, as among numerous government projects lined up for the education sector in the region in the current financial year.
Other plans for Ohangwena education sector – as pointed out by Nghaamwa – include the construction of a new school in Eenhana Town, Eenhana Junior Secondary School, as well as the establishment of a hostel at Eenhana Primary School, the construction of four classrooms at Nanhapo Combined School and the upgrading of Oshikunde Secondary School.
These planned projects for the 2016/2017 financial year are in addition to over N$3.2 million worth of projects already completed or underway in the region.
In addition, Ohangwena also received facilities worth over N$2.1 million from former president Hifikepunye Pohamba.
The funds donated by Pohamba were for the construction of two hostels at Okanghudi Combined School and three classrooms at Kaupumhote Nghituwamhata Combined School.
Namsov also donated N$500 000, of which N$480 000 was used to construct flushing toilets for teachers and learners at Ohehongo Combined School.