The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Youth, Civil Relations and Community Development has expressed satisfaction with the completion of most educational capital projects in the ||Kharas Region.
The committee is conducting an oversight visit in the region to evaluate the implementation of government projects.
Enid Hanse, the Chief Planner of the ||Kharas Education Directorate, reported that the region built 13 classrooms valued at N$16 million in 2023.
The funds also covered the construction of new primary schools, namely the Chief Hendrik Tseib Primary School in Keetmanshoop, the ǃNamiǂNûs Primary School in Lüderitz, and the Ambrosius Amutenya Primary School in Oranjemund.
Plans are at an advanced stage to also construct nine pre-primary classrooms in the region in the current financial year, funded by the European Union.
The committee's Chairperson, Marlene Mbakera, asked whether provisions have also been made for classrooms to accommodate children with special needs.
"I am not sure if we, the education sector, really put the needs of those children as priorities in our planning, and how far we go to ensure that those learners are taken care of. We can build many schools, but if the sector of slow-learning children is not given the attention it deserves. We are claiming that no one should feel left out. We cannot leave children out because of the basis of their inability to learn."
38 children with special needs are enrolled in schools across the region, and only three resource units are catering for them in Keetmanshoop.
The committee also enquired about youth empowerment and community development initiatives in the region.
Joseph Isaack, the Chairperson of the ||Kharas Regional Council, gave an update on the regional progress. "In terms of the region, we have that policy of giving preferential treatment to our young people so that they can be preferred in opportunities that are availing themselves. I have mentioned that the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), through the government, along with green hydrogen, oil, and gas initiatives, presents a positive opportunity. And also Neckartal is posing a huge potential and opportunity for our young people."
The committee also visited the Keetmanshoop Vocational Training Centre (KVTC), which is scheduled to begin with its first intake in January next year.