Walvis enrolment woes: ‘Parents sleeping at schools will not be considered’
Pre-primary, grade one enrolment next week
Each year, already-overcrowded primary schools battle to place learners.
Walvis Bay schools will not consider applications from parents who queue up days before enrolment begins.
This according to Walvis Bay circuit education inspector Theresia Goagoses, who explained that it’s a common occurrence for parents to camp out at schools in order to secure placement for their children.
Each year, the harbour town battles to place new learners at already-overcrowded schools.
This year, enrolment for grade one learners will take place on Tuesday, 4 June, while pre-primary enrolment will take place the next day, 5 June.
The inspector made these remarks at a community meeting on Tuesday evening. Parents who do not get space for their child for the next academic year are encouraged to go to the Walvis Bay circuit office, where the child's name will be placed on a list for placement at another school.
“We will not consider anyone that is queueing up from Friday. The enrolment date is Tuesday. If there must be queueing, it will be on Tuesday only. We are not going to take any lists made over the weekend. We will take the parents as they queue in the lines on that day,” Goagoses stressed.
Available spaces
There are 1 027 spaces available at primary schools in Walvis Bay for 2025. Currently, the harbour town has 2 149 grade one learners.
“We have 324 learners in pre-primary currently who will go to grade one at the respective schools that have pre-primary classes. This is also taken into account when allocating space at primary schools.”
Meanwhile, a total of 265 learners will possibly repeat grade one.
According to Goagoses, parents have lied in a bid to secure placement for their children.
“For instance, we would say that we have space in the Khoekhoegowab class, and then the parents would tell us that their child speaks Khoekhoegowab, while in the meantime, the child only speaks Otjiherero. If you are not honest, dear parents, then you will be suffering. Do not enrol a child in that class due to space when you know the child does not speak the language. Let’s be honest.”
Documents needed
Goagoses further emphasised that children enrolled for pre-primary must have been born in 2019, and grade one learners must have been born in 2018.
The documents needed for enrolment are a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate, two recent passport photos, proof of residence, certified copies of the parents’ IDs and a N$10 application fee.
She added that the voluntary parental contribution to schools is N$300. “The Education Act mandates that parents assist the school financially.”
This according to Walvis Bay circuit education inspector Theresia Goagoses, who explained that it’s a common occurrence for parents to camp out at schools in order to secure placement for their children.
Each year, the harbour town battles to place new learners at already-overcrowded schools.
This year, enrolment for grade one learners will take place on Tuesday, 4 June, while pre-primary enrolment will take place the next day, 5 June.
The inspector made these remarks at a community meeting on Tuesday evening. Parents who do not get space for their child for the next academic year are encouraged to go to the Walvis Bay circuit office, where the child's name will be placed on a list for placement at another school.
“We will not consider anyone that is queueing up from Friday. The enrolment date is Tuesday. If there must be queueing, it will be on Tuesday only. We are not going to take any lists made over the weekend. We will take the parents as they queue in the lines on that day,” Goagoses stressed.
Available spaces
There are 1 027 spaces available at primary schools in Walvis Bay for 2025. Currently, the harbour town has 2 149 grade one learners.
“We have 324 learners in pre-primary currently who will go to grade one at the respective schools that have pre-primary classes. This is also taken into account when allocating space at primary schools.”
Meanwhile, a total of 265 learners will possibly repeat grade one.
According to Goagoses, parents have lied in a bid to secure placement for their children.
“For instance, we would say that we have space in the Khoekhoegowab class, and then the parents would tell us that their child speaks Khoekhoegowab, while in the meantime, the child only speaks Otjiherero. If you are not honest, dear parents, then you will be suffering. Do not enrol a child in that class due to space when you know the child does not speak the language. Let’s be honest.”
Documents needed
Goagoses further emphasised that children enrolled for pre-primary must have been born in 2019, and grade one learners must have been born in 2018.
The documents needed for enrolment are a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate, two recent passport photos, proof of residence, certified copies of the parents’ IDs and a N$10 application fee.
She added that the voluntary parental contribution to schools is N$300. “The Education Act mandates that parents assist the school financially.”
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