Cocoma Primary pupils sleeping on ‘hostel’ floors

Severe accommodation shortages at Cocoma Primary School in the Kavango East region have left pupils sleeping on mattresses on the floor, parents say.

Videos and pictures seen by The Namibian show pupils sleeping on mattresses in the sand.

The school, located at Kakekete village of the Ndiyona constituency, does not have proper flooring despite numerous donations made by the fishing company Beki-Kumata Fishing, which could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.

The current structure serving as a hostel accommodates hundreds of pupils with only five mattresses.

Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture executive director Erastus Haitengela told The Namibian yesterday that construction for a proper hostel at the school is expected to commence soon.

Haitengela said the ministry signed a contract with a contractor last week following concerns over poor living conditions at the school.

Sources tell The Namibian that the ministry has allegedly indicated that the school does not qualify for a hostel.

However, Haitengela said the ministry provides hostel construction, based on community need.

“The school had about 30 pupils but it has since enrolled more pupils,” he said.

Shipapo Kayunde, a parent, yesterday told The Namibian that pupils sleep on mattresses in makeshift facilities that do not have proper flooring.

“It is disturbing to see where our children sleep.

The government must do something for these children,” he said.

The school was established in the 1970s as a mobile unit approximately 160km east of Rundu.

It serves vulnerable and marginalised pupils from the San community and 260 pupils are currently enrolled at the school.

Community activist Frans Moyo yesterday described the situation as a failure of the government.

He said it is deeply disturbing because education authorities are failing pupils.

“A lot of people come from far away to go to the school. So building up a school with accommodation for pupils and teachers would have been better. That is poor preparation,” he said.

He added that the community expects the government to have a sufficient budget that caters for school hostels.

He said the Kavango East region is one of the most populated regions, with fewer hostels.

Education director Christine Shilima says she is aware of the challenges, however, no measures are being taken to address them as no funds have been allocated by head office.

“I am aware and a fishing company is supplying food.

It is in the hands of a fishing company,” she told The Namibian yesterday.

The post Cocoma Primary pupils sleeping on ‘hostel’ floors appeared first on The Namibian.