Parents from the villages around Matumbo Angelina Ribebe Secondary School also want their children admitted to the hostel.

Ncaute Headman Johannes Kangoro says the school management's decision to deny learners' hostel admission amounts to denying them quality education.

The villagers called a meeting, which was attended by officials from the Kavango East Directorate of Education, Arts, and Culture, to seek answers from the school's management.

Kangoro says some learners walk up to 20 kilometers to and from school every day.

The situation, he says, is worse during the rainy and winter seasons, as the children suffer harsh weather to get to school, where they are denied entry if they arrive late.

"We have seen that our children are failing because they are coming from outside the school; therefore, they often arrive late for lessons because of the cold and rain. When it is raining, the children shelter under trees; when it stops, that's when they start walking."

Principal John Kasoka explained that government hostel policy dictates that where space is limited, learners outside a five-kilometer radius of the hostel must get priority.

"It is also our responsibility to ensure that the school's neighbors benefit from it; we cannot deny people from this area accommodation if they come from afar; this school was built in your neighborhood; it came for you."

The explanation, however, did not sit well with the parents, who demanded that each case be treated on its merits.

They also claimed that their children are at a disadvantage as there is no electricity in the villages; therefore, they cannot study at night.

A list of the learners from the villages will be compiled for consideration.