Govt responds to Amarika school

Following several reports on Saara Lukas and five other young ladies who returned to continue primary school in their early 20s, government has speedily responded to develop Amarika Primary School as a matter of urgency.The construction of teachers’ accommodation has already been completed, while construction of additional four classrooms, a hostel and ablution facilities is underway.According to the school’s principal Abraham Haukelo, he is delighted by the government action to improve his school’s standard and extend their curriculum up to Grade 8. He said that for the past years the school had only up to Grade 4 and learners find it difficult to continue their studies.“I am very happy. Finally, children of Amarika will enjoy education as never before. It used to pain me just to see these small children dropping out of school in Grade 4, not because they chose to do so, but because there was no other option,” Haukelo said.He added that thanks to media reports, Saara Lukas and the five other young ladies who returned to school have become the ambassadors of education in Amarika. “After parents started seeing those young ladies in newspapers, no parents wanted their children to stay at home but to go to school and became famous like Lukas and the others. Those ladies are also performing well and are well-disciplined in school, which is a motivation to the others in school,”Haukelo said that last year they had only 56 learners, but this year they recorded the first-ever record of 106 learners.School historyEstablished in the 1960s by ELCIN missionaries, Amarika Primary School in Amarika village and Dr Ndeutala Angolo Primary School at Onghaanghaa were the only two schools in the area and only provided education from Grade 1 to 4, until last year.Following a visit by the deputy minister in the Office of the Vice-President responsible for marginalised people, Royal /Ui/o/oo in July 2015, Amarika Primary School was granted immediate curriculum extension approval up to Grade 8 this year.In December 2015 Prime Minister Saara Kuukongelwa-Amadhila visited Amarika. Inspired by a visit from Prime Minister Saara Lukas, now 24, who completed her Grade 4 in 2005 when she was 12 and had to stay home, decided to return to school to continue Grade 5 which was introduced in 2016.Lukas’ act of bravery was then emulated by five others, Ottillie Johannes, 20, who left school in 2006, but she returned with the advice of her parents, Lyidia Ipinge, 19, Josephina Gabriel and Ottillie Jonas, both 17, and Leena Kashenye, 16. They all felt it was not too late to quench their thirst for knowledge and they enrolled to finish what they left behind ten years ago. These ladies had to stay at home because they had nowhere to go to further their primary education. The nearest school where she and others could continue with their primary education was Erastus Shapumba Junior Secondary School in Etilyasa, about 80 km away. This school does not have hostels to accommodate the learners. Some of these young ladies are mothers and they leave their children home while going to school.Last year, the Office of the Vice-President’s development plan for marginalised communities decided to support these young ladies by offering them a monthly grant of N$500 each. According to Omusati’s regional director for education, Laban Shapange, curriculum extension for Amarika means a lot. “This school will not only cater for children of Amarika, but all communities in the surrounds since it has hostel. Finally children will enjoy their constitutional right,” Shapange saidAmarika village headman Salom Hamutenya said that the construction at the school is a meaningful development for his village. ILENI NANDJATO

Govt responds to Amarika school

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-25

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Govt responds to Amarika school

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-25

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