The leadership of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority in the Aminius Constituency has pledged to assist local schools in bridging the resource gap.

The authority has also committed itself to helping the education fraternity address discipline issues among learners.

This emerged during a one-day engagement with Omaheke principals, heads of department, and school board members.

According to the Ovaherero Traditional Authority's Senior Traditional Councillor Edward Uandara, the authority has taken bold steps to assist local schools in various ways.

Uandara said the authorities have learned that limited resources in classrooms and hostel blocks contribute to poor results. As such, the authority will look into repairing some old school furniture, as the government alone has a lot to deal with in terms of development.

The Senior Traditional Councillor said discipline among learners and parental involvement need attention at most schools.

"We have called you here so we can sit together, identify the challenges in education in our area, and discuss them. You're the right people who know education best. You'll also tell us about shortages of books and modern equipment like computers, so we can address them together rather than you fighting your own battles. It's time to join forces and find solutions—we're open to any assistance."

Some school principals who attended the session with the traditional authority leadership shared their experiences.

One of them was Foreman Tjizoo, Principal of the Dr Fischer Primary School. He said, "In our school, discipline among learners is a problem. They lack respect even for teachers, and parents face the same issues at home. Another aspect is overcrowded hostels—there is no space. The carrying capacity is 288, but we have more than 500 learners. Telling parents there is no space leads to conflict, forcing kids to share beds, which is not good."

Principal of the Chief Primary School, Simeone Mbiriona, added that "We need everyone to join forces and work together. Even in areas where learners perform well, communities and various stakeholders are involved—that's why success happens. Take Epukiro, for example. Why can't we do the same by involving our traditional authorities?"