Close to 1300 learners still need to find placement in the Kavango East Region.

Despite this, the acting education director, Christine Silima, is adamant that they will be accommodated when schools reopen next week.

Out of the six circuits found in Kavango East, the Rundu circuit is the only one still concerned with placement-related matters. 

"For pre-primary, it's 86, and then for Grade 1, 316, and for Grade 8, 684. The problem is that there are parents who did not apply, so we have a number of students in Grade 10, 287. So in total, in Kavango East and specifically for Rundu Circuit, we have 1287 learners who need space when the school reopens."

Shilima says the ministry has a number of mechanisms in place to ensure that no learners are left out. 

"For Grade 8, there's a new school that we are opening at Kehemu, the Kehemu Project School, and we are even ready; the head office already provided us by last year with tents, so we have tents available if we are to find that our school cannot accommodate the learners in the current schools that we have."

The acting education director is urging parents not to panic, saying if push comes to shove, guardians must just agree to meet the ministry halfway. 

She emphasised that there are other circuits closer to the Rundu circuit where learners can be accommodated, but parents will first have to agree to this arrangement. 

Rapid urbanisation, last-minute attempts to find space, and parents applying to more than one school are some of the reasons why the Rundu circuit encounters placement concerns every year.