By: Priscilla Mukokobi
A teacher at Omulunga Primary School told the Villager that teachers commute long distances to the school despite having two houses completed in 2016 yet remaining unused.
He said they had been experiencing accommodation issues ever since he started working at the school.
“The minister of education knows these houses, even Anna Nghipondoka visited our school two years back, but they are not giving us these houses to settle,” he said.
He further asked for the Ministry to come through and help them with accommodation because the Oshana regional office does not want to be told the truth.
The teacher at the school who chose to remain unnamed added that keys were handed to the school management for them to start using the houses after construction.
As a management, they felt that it was not suitable for them to use government houses without informing the regional officer.
“We called the regional officers to inspect the houses before using them. They came to inspect, and then they told us that we could not use the houses because they were not built according to the plan given to the contractors. We could not use the houses because we had to wait for contractors to come and do the right thing,” he said.
Omulunga teachers have been waiting for a green light from both the regional officers and directorate of education to give them a go of using the houses.
He said the house could at least accommodate four teachers.
No arrangements have been made for teachers to use the houses.
“These people don’t care about us. That’s why they are not acting anyways,” he said.
Ukwambi traditional authority Shivute Iyambo also told The Villager that teachers have been coming to him to complain about the issue of the houses at Omulunga primary school.
He said there had been houses in schools such as Onika Primary School, Oshipumbu combined school, and Omulunga primary school with two houses. Those houses were all completed in 2016.
“As a leader, I’m concerned because teachers from Omulunga primary school, Oshipumbu combined school and Onika primary school teachers are staying far away. Some are staying at Oshakati, some in Ongwediva, and it’s far from,” he said.
Furthermore, houses are becoming old. Doors are made of wood and no longer the same. He said it is painful for them as taxpayers to see teachers educating their children going through that.
He added that houses were built on the need of accommodating teachers, yet they are not being used. Questions popped up in his mind about why they built the houses if they did not want anyone to use them.
“Now it’s raining, and these teachers have to commute from Oshakati or Ongwediva, about 50 kilometres away daily. If the rain comes and causes flooding, the situation could worsen. Our children will be affected because some teachers will come late to school,” Iyambo told The Villager.
He further said he brought this issue to the public to be addressed. Maybe something will be done because they cannot tolerate it anymore. Government should understand that these facilities have to be used.
Education ministry spokesperson Sem Shino said he was not aware of the matter.
Questions sent to Oshana education director Hileni Amukana were not responded to at the time of publication.
