Teenage pregnancy, lack of hostel threaten education at Sharukwe Combined School

SHARUKWE, 29 SEP (NAMPA) – Teenage pregnancy and a lack of hostel accommodation are placing the education and future prospects of learners at Sharukwe Combined School at risk, principal Alberth Mutesi warned on Monday.
Speaking during a visit by Kavango West Governor Verna Sinimbo to the school in the Ncuncuni Constituency, Mutesi said cohabitation and the absence of a hostel expose girls specifically to risk and disrupted learning. He warned that such challenges could hold back the region’s development.
The school accommodates 783 learners from pre-primary to Grade 11 level and employs 31 staff members. With no hostel available, many pupils must travel long distances every day from surrounding villages, including Ncuncuni, Sikanduko, and Ndama.
He said some learners live in child-headed households and have to collect water and find food before or after school.
“From school, they need to see what to eat. They need to fetch water,” Mutesi said, describing the pressures that leave learners vulnerable to exploitation by older men and unable to concentrate on schoolwork.
He added that cohabitation is also a growing concern, with reports of young girls living with boyfriends in their home communities.
The principal said the school also lacks desks and chairs, and its water supply depends on a community borehole. When the borehole breaks down, sanitation at the school is compromised.
Mutesi welcomed recent infrastructure upgrades, including four classrooms, two pre-primary rooms, a library, computer and science laboratories, and ablution facilities. He said the new buildings had improved the school, but more support is needed.
A delegation from the Office of the Prime Minister assessed the proposed hostel site earlier this year around February or March, but the school is still waiting for construction to move forward.
Sinimbo meanwhile urged teachers, parents and learners to confront violence, bullying, teenage pregnancy and poor school participation, warning that these problems hold back education and development.
She called on teachers to identify pupils who intimidate classmates and help create a safe environment as some learners fear going to school because of bullies.
Sinimbo linked education challenges to the Kavango West Region’s development prospects and cited dropouts, cohabitation and teenage pregnancy as persistent problems in the area.
“You can only change the status quo if you take school serious,” she said.
Ncuncuni Constituency Councillor Michael Naiteta called for regular meetings and collective action to tackle teenage pregnancies and other social ills affecting schools.
He said disputes between learners and teachers, and between parents and the Education Ministry, must be addressed.
“Our constituency cries out for salvation,” he said.
Naiteta urged learners to attend classes and complete their homework and projects. He said some learners were missing classes, while others struggled to read for two consecutive hours during afternoon lessons.
(NAMPA)
JLN/AS