11 Nov 2021

The Ministry of Basic Education is aware that the truck and van assisting Ghanzi Senior Secondary School were both boarded in September 2019, says Assistant Minister, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja.

She said currently there were financial constraints to procure new vehicles.

She, however, said the ministry had allocated the school a bakkie to assist them on their daily duties while awaiting the procurement of replacement vehicles when funds were available.

She said the ministry was also aware that the school operated with temporary boarding assistants since 2015, and that boarding assistants continued to be engaged on- a temporary basis to augment the boarding personnel.

“Ghanzi Senior Secondary School has a permanent and pensionable position of matron.

The position of boarding master has been created and will be filled by the 30th November, 2021,” Ms Makwinja said.

She further highlighted that the ministry was aware of acute shortage of teaching facilities at Ghanzi Senior Secondary School, saying it was exacerbated by the need to comply to COVID-19 protocols.

Moreover, she said the school had not adopted a shifting timetable which could accommodate all learners, but rather opted to utilise all facilities for teaching and learning space, including specialist rooms.

“The school administration has, however, been advised to revisit their timetable for 2022 to address this issue,” she explained.

Ms Makwinja also said the ministry was aware that a contractor had installed cooking pots some of which were not functional.  

She, however, said the maintenance project was still ongoing and that all defects including installed pots would be made good before the contractor left the site on November 29 2021.

She assured Parliament that problems were being addressed as a matter of urgency within the constraints of the ministry.

The MP for Ghanzi North, Mr John Thite had asked the minister if she was aware that Ghanzi Senior Secondary School truck and van had long been boarded and had not been replaced to date, and if so, when would the school receive replacement vehicles.

Mr Thite also wanted to know if the ministry was aware that the school operated with temporary boarding assistants since 2015, and if so, when would a permanent boarding master be employed.

Furthermore, he had asked the minister if she was aware that there was an acute shortage of teaching facilities as the school had 32 streams instead of 25, and that the school kitchen pots that were installed by the maintenance contractor were not working.

He wanted to know if the contractor would rectify the situation before handing over the site. ENDS