At least eight learners from the Rundjarara Village have run away from school due to the condition of the hostel.

The learners were taken from Rundjarara Primary School to Cocoma Junior Primary School with promises of shelter, food, and proper school uniforms.

According to the community members, an unknown woman came to Rundjarara village to register the learners who were already previously registered at Rundjarara Primary School.

It is reported that the parents were promised that their children would be accommodated in the hostel and would be provided with food and school uniforms.

At least 18 learners were registered, of whom eight have now run off from the premises.

"I was called by the principal of Rundjarara Primary School to say that there were some learners that were taken from that community to Cocoma Primary School. Those learners were registered learners at Rundjarara, so when I asked if Cocoma was in Shinyungwe Circuit, my colleague Mr. Zombo, who is the inspector of that circuit, narrated his story that he was informed by the principal of Cocoma that there are learners at Rundjarara who did not get space, so that is the information he got," explained Education Inspector at Ndiyona Circuit, Pontianus Kamunima.

The learners were moved to a different school 15 days after statistics were compiled in the region.

According to Kamunima, on the 7th of January, the inspector of Shinyungwe Circuit, Zombo Yasinto, picked up the learners, two kilometers from the school, and dropped them off at Cocoma Primary School.

"The parents came in and said no, we wanted to inform you that we need to take these learners to Cocoma because there is a hostel considering the needs of these kids and us as parents, we are not able to afford everything perhaps the distance of traveling so we thought it's better to take them to the hostel."

The inspector, who stated that parents claim they send their children to Nconcoma because of the better living conditions, urged them to become acquainted with education procedures from the appropriate offices rather than from individuals.

"Whatever comes, they are supposed to go to school first because we have information and know the school is in our vicinity. Kavango East, we could have informed them that no, this is the condition of the school and the condition of the hostel—it's a community hostel—but it's up to you to take the kids to the school where you want to take them. But not to do it secretly; it doesn't actually look good, but they need to be aware and conscious of people in the community who come to inform them without valid proof, so they just come and narrate their story, and from there they just believe in them."

The parents refused to talk to the media and refused to have their children on camera either.

Six of the eight learners who ran off from Cocoma are now back in class at Rundjarara Primary School, while two others are yet to be located.