Parents in Windhoek flocked to a local school in Havana in hopes of securing spots for their children in Pre-Primary and Grade 1 classes for the year 2027; however, many have had little to no success.
They have set up camp outside of the school since last Friday, and others joined the queue as early as 3 am.
Scenes of jostling were witnessed as parents queued in large numbers.
Some parents expressed frustration over what they described as an unfair application system; they also alleged discrimination by some schools.
The parents further said that certain schools ask for a municipal bill together with the application forms as a strategy to filter applications that are not from the school's district.
"I was asked to hold my aunt's place while she goes home to the children. The police officers came by to help us write down the names accordingly from the first person in the queue to the last person. We were then ordered by the police, which just brought confusion. The driver of the police van started beating the women with a walking stick, so the ladies went back home. I told them, 'You can beat me, but I will not leave my spot because I have been here overnight in this cold winter.' I would like to ask, are the Namibian police aimed at assisting and protecting us, or are they here to assault us? I did nothing to him. We are tired; we are only here for our children's future."
"The last time I came here for pre-primary applications, it was unsuccessful. Today again, I'm here; even my boss might be calling me at the moment. I'm still here at Havana Primary. They keep asking us, 'Are we ready?' Is the school fee ready? You must have N$260 for the school fee. You see all those things. Even if we have the money, when are they going to assist us? It's now maybe almost 11 o'clock."
Year after year, parents are seen queuing outside schools in hopes of securing placement for their children.
With learner numbers steadily increasing and school spaces remaining limited, many families continue to face uncertainty as authorities scuffle to find sustainable solutions to the annual enrolment crisis.