WALVIS BAY – Most schools in the Erongo region are ready to resume face-to-face teaching next week or early in February. However, some schools such as those in the Daures constituency are facing a challenge in terms of water.

This is according to the director of Education for Erongo Erenfriede Stephanus. Stephanus was briefing the media on Thursday about the preparedness of schools in Erongo after visiting various schools with stakeholders, including the Erongo governor Neville Andre.
Stephanus said schools will be operating in a bubble system, as this will allow schools to operate various grades in isolation to decrease the risk of Covid-19 infections at school.

“Learners will still be divided into groups and will go to school on different days. We have observed this system gives teachers also the opportunity to work better, as the groups are smaller than usual,” she said.
According to Stephanus, parents will still be allowed to have learning from home as an option, especially for children who have underlying health conditions. 
 
Water challenge
Vice chairperson of the Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU) Swakopmund branch Alina Alicky Imbili during the press conference raised concern over the fact that water remains a challenge for schools in the Daures constituency.
“We thought by now this is a problem of the past. We cannot send our members to schools while we know water is a necessity, especially now with Covid-19,” she said.

Hence, she says it is not in the best interest of the learners and teachers to reopen those schools.
However, Andre explained water has always been a challenge for the Daures constituency overall due to the persistent drought the region experienced over the years.

“There is water. It is just not sufficient but we are looking into it. At the stage, Namwater is making sure there is sufficient water for residents but we are looking at increasing it so that it is sufficient for both schools and residents,” he said.