25 May 2025

Okavango District Council (ODC)’s Education and Health Committee has raised concern about the dire situations of some schools in the district.
The committee recently visited 19 schools in the Okavango District – 13 primary schools and six secondary schools to inspect the school situations.
Reporting on behalf of the committee at a full council meeting recently, the Councillor for Nxauxau-Chukumuchu, Mr Uakazemba Tjiponda, said there were challenges of poor sanitation which resulted from faulty toilet systems, bats infestation in most schools, old furniture, dilapidated school facilities, damaged fences and poor food handling due to lack of protective clothing.
Mr Tjiponda said the worst schools were Danega satellite school under Nokaneng stream, Ngambao and Gowa junior secondary schools in Seronga and Kauxwi respectively.
The Councillor for Nokaneng-Habu, Mr Itjienda Tjinyeka, said Danega Satellite School had a challenge of staff accommodation, hence teachers of opposite gender shared accommodation while some teachers commuted from Nokaneng and Gumare.
Mr Thinyeka said the situation needed urgent attention of at least provision of porta cabins for staff houses. He said although not part of the report, Okavango Junior Secondary School had challenges of dilapidated facilities, and therefore required replacement of doors and locks for safety of boarding students.
A Nominated Councillor, Mr Kaukapita, said most schools in the Okavango District were the worst as compared to other schools in the country and the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education should take accountability.
The Okavango District Commissioner, Mr William Keareng, advised the councillors not to suggest stringent recommendations regarding the school situations but to consider partnerships with some investors to address some of the challenges experienced while awaiting interventions from the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education.
Mr Keareng also said the Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education recently visited some schools in the eastern part of the Okavango Delta such as Gowa therefore was aware of the school situations.  
The Deputy Council Secretary for the Okavango District Council, Mr Losika Kula said the council should prioritise school’s needs under programmes such Constituency Community Project (CCP) to tackle some of the challenges. ENDS