RUNDU – Maintaining social distance in Rundu schools will remain a challenge due to overcrowding, Kavango East education director Fanuel Kapapero has said. 

According to Kapapero, it will prove extremely difficult to control and handle learners due to challenges posed by a lack of classrooms. 
“It has never been easy; even last year, we struggled. But we will continue to devise the same strategy – the system of rotating learners in all grades to come on separate days – in order to avail space to ensure social distancing,” he said. 

“The point is we are not going to have a fully-fledged system as it was before the dawn of Covid-19 until further notice maybe – but now that cases are also increasing, it is going to require more attention from teachers to ensure the safety of learners and themselves. I am aware of some teachers who are affected and also some learners; it is really going to be a big struggle again.” 
Over the years, some schools in Rundu have been accommodating between 45 and 85 learners in a single class. 
This has forced some schools to erect makeshift structures to create additional space for learners. 

Kapapero said as teachers and learners prepare for schools reopening, they should be aware that Covid-19 is still around. 
“Cases are actually increasing – and this is one of the reasons why the ministry had to delay the reopening for a while. In the past, we used to hear cases in other regions but now the recent announcement of more than 20 cases in Kavango East is alarming and scary but we need to ensure that we protect our learners because children are vulnerable; they forget and play with each other,” he said. 
Kapapero urged parents and teachers to educate children on safety tips. 

“They must ensure that everyone adheres to social distancing, washing hands and sanitising hands – and that is what I want to see happening at our schools,” he said. 

“But all in all, we are ready with what we have; the only challenge is the new school, which still has pending things – like the connection of sewer system, but otherwise the other schools are ok, except for Uvhungu-Vungu and Sauyemwa Combined School, where some classroom roofs were blown off by the strong winds but we are working on it to see to it that they are repaired.” 
Kapapero further noted that the directorate has since last year been busy with the construction of ablution facilities at various school.
- jmuyamba@nepc.com.na