Unemployed teachers in the Kavango East Region held a demonstration at Rundu, demanding that the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture undertake a mass recruitment exercise.

According to the petition, there are more than 8250 unemployed graduates nationwide, with the number expected to increase to an estimated 3000 graduates countrywide in 2024.

Reading the petition, David Nekaro, the national chairperson of the unemployed teachers committee, says they have engaged the ministry at the regional level as well as the national level, but nothing has been done.

The unemployed teachers are demanding mass recruitment of teachers across the country.

"Fully implementation of policy on teacher's learner ratio immediately, total abolishment of interviews with immediate effect, and the return of teaching sessions or shifts as exercised during the COVID-19 period, teachers who are already in the system not to apply for vacancies of the same level in MoEAC. Full execution of the N$200 million for additional teaching posts as promised by the president during the SONA."

The unemployed teachers are giving the ministry seven working days to respond to their demands.

Failure to respond, they say, will lead to a second protest, as they vowed to camp at all directorates of education across the country, effective January next year.

Receiving the petition, Acting Director of Education, Kavango East Region, Cristine Shilima I promised the unemployed teachers that their petition would be forwarded to the head office, and the response would be communicated.