Close to 300 Grade One learners are still looking for school placement in Windhoek.
This was revealed by the Khomas Regional Director of Education, Paulus Nghikembua, during an interview with the nbc News.
178 pre-primary learners have not secured admission, while 282 Grade One learners are still to be admitted.
Among eighth graders, 1,788 learners still require placement.
Nghikembua assured all those students that they would be placed during the course of the week.
He indicated that, while the demand for placement is high among pre-primary, grade one and grade eight learners, the education directorate is working towards solutions to ensure that all learners are in school.
"What we are doing at the moment, we are busy placing those children in our schools, and we are hopeful that by the end of the week, we will be able to accommodate all our learners into our schools. It's a challenge because it leads to an increased need for additional teaching and learning materials and additional teachers, but we have a mandate, and we need to ensure that all our children are in school."
He said that they are still working to admit children to different schools, as the demand keeps increasing.
Reasons include parents moving to the city for various reasons, parents who do not want their children to be at schools where they were placed, those who did not register as well as those who applied but were rejected.
He mentioned that it is a challenge to accommodate every learner, but they have a mandate to admit everyone and will find solutions to provide a place for each learner.
Thus far, he says the |Khomas Regional Office had meetings scheduled with principals to see whether there will be a need for additional classrooms or resources, urging principals to approach their office before the 15th of January.
Responding to why some parents were turned away, despite the |Khomas Regional Office providing them with placement letters, Nghikembua suggested that fake letters may also be making the rounds.
"Remember, there are so many people who might take this time to take an opportunity to even fake the letters that we are giving. I think what the principals are doing, they are not refusing, they are just validating the letters against the list that was provided to them."
Nghikembua said that they are aware of the situation and are tirelessly seeking solutions as they are currently concentrating on pre-primary, grade one, and grade eight at a regional level.