ONGWEDIVA – The education directorate in Ohangwena Region has stopped paying the government subsidy to private schools in the region as no funds were allocated for such purpose during the 2019/2020 financial year.

As a result, learners who under the circumstances cannot continue at private schools will be enrolled in government schools.

The education director of Ohangwena Region, Isak Hamatwi, said about 200 private school learners were benefiting from the fund in the region.

The funds are accorded to learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Prospective recipient schools are required to register at least 10 percent of their learner population to benefit from such funds.

Hamatwi, in the communication sent to all the inspectors of education last week, asked inspectors to ensure that the affected learners are placed in government schools.

“In the wake of no subsidy to private schools, private schools are likely to instruct the non-paying learners to find schools somewhere else. Therefore inspectors of education and public school principals should be ready and find ways to accommodate these learners should the parents approach your offices and schools,” Hamatwi said in the letter addressed to all inspectors of education in the region.
Hamatwi also directed the inspectors not to send learners to the director’s office.
Subsidy budget cuts to private schools in the country started already in 2017.

The ministry at the time slashed the N$22 budgeted for learners on a daily basis to N$12.
The subsidy is spent on food, cleaning materials, utilities and transport amongst others.