The shortage of classrooms, water supply challenges and a lack of staff accommodation were among the concerns raised by stakeholders at Mangetti Dune during a visit by a delegation from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The delegation started its visit to the Tsumkwe constituency at the start of this week and went to Mangetti Dunes at the invitation of the Constituency Councillor Petrus Mutjie.
The delegation, accompanied by Tsumkwe Mutjie, visited the Mangetti Dune to assess development needs and engage community members on challenges affecting service delivery in the area.
Among the concerns raised were infrastructure constraints at Mangetti Dune Combined School, which was upgraded from a primary school to a combined school offering Grades 8 and 9.
School Principal Menesia Gomis said the upgrade was introduced after parents requested that learners be allowed to continue their secondary education locally, instead of travelling about 100 kilometres to Tsumkwe.
She said the move helped reduce school dropout rates but created additional pressure on existing facilities.
"We require improvements to our facilities as they are not conducive to effective teaching and learning. Currently, four classes are facing challenges, particularly Grades 8 and 9, as well as the Grade 1 class. One class is being conducted in the dining hall, while another occupies a different section of the dining hall, which I will show you shortly. The third class is held in the zinc building, which is actually a storeroom, and the Grade 1 class is situated in the garage storeroom. This situation is far from ideal, with classes being overcrowded as well."
The school also requested the drilling of a borehole to provide a reliable water supply because water shortages continue to disrupt school operations and hostel services.
Head of Department at Mangetti Dune Combined School, Lluwelyn Maritshane, stated, "When we have our own water, the ablution facilities can be used. The availability of water improves our teaching time, as learners currently have to use the bush; if water is on the premises, they will be able to use the ablutions provided. At the moment, they are going to the bush, and sometimes they do not return. As a teacher, I cannot leave thirty learners unattended to go and fetch two or three who are in the bush."
Another request is that the school bus, which currently transports only marginalised learners, be made available to all learners because of a lack of public transport and poor road conditions.
The school management said the absence of staff accommodation makes it difficult to attract and retain qualified teachers and requested the renovation of existing facilities and construction of more classrooms, as well as an administration block and teachers' houses.