The Naingopo Junior Primary School, which was established about 46 years ago, some 80 kilometres south of Rundu, finally received a minimal facelift and a new classroom block.

This comes after a long-time call from the community who felt the school was left neglected for too many years.

Before the renovations, at least 75 learners at the school were being taught in makeshift classrooms. 

The school caters for learners from pre-primary to grade three and operates on a multi-grade system with two teachers. 

Pre-primary and grade one learners were previously taught in a corrugated iron sheet classroom, while grades two and three were taught in a dilapidated brick structure, also used as an office and storeroom. 

"For many years now, the community has been submitting requests to the Directorate of Education, Arts, and Culture in Kavango West to plead for structures, as the structure in which they were taught was not appropriate for the children to have quality education. However, it was not the intention of the directorate nor the institution of the ministry not to provide proper infrastructure to a Namibian child, but this is just because of the resources that are not sufficient for every part of the country," said Tjakula Nikodemus, Education Inspector at the Ncuncuni Circuit.

The school now has two classrooms and a storeroom.

With the new classrooms, pre-primary and grade one will now be separated while grades two and three will remain as per the status quo.

"We want to call upon the community of Naingopo and the surrounding area, to please do not take your children from here, you are saying you are taking them to town to Rundu, and you leave these facilities here to become a white elephant; that becomes a waste of state resources. Keep the children here. We have qualified teachers in the rural schools. They are qualified just like any other teachers who are teaching in urban areas. These teachers, we trust them. They will be able to nurture, they will be able to educate these children so that when they leave junior primary, they go to senior primary, and go to senior secondary. This children's foundation is properly laid."

The school board chairperson expressed appreciation towards the Education Ministry for responding to their needs.

Apart from Naingopo Junior Primary School, about 50 classrooms were constructed in the Kavango East Region this year.