Education Director Warns Schools Against Excluding Learners Over Voluntary Contributions

Education Director Warns Schools Against Excluding Learners Over Voluntary CContributions. Kavango East education director Christine Shilima has cautioned schools against turning learners away due to unpaid parental contributions, reiterating that such payments remain voluntary.

Speaking on the matter, Shilima explained that school boards often request voluntary contributions from parents as a way to manage overcrowding, particularly at schools located in informal settlements within the Kavango East Region. According to her, rapid population growth in these areas has placed pressure on existing classroom infrastructure, prompting schools to seek additional resources.

She noted that funds raised through voluntary contributions are typically used to construct temporary classroom structures to ensure that all enrolled learners can be accommodated. These measures, she said, are intended to support learning continuity rather than exclude children from accessing education.

However, Shilima emphasised that no learner should be denied access to education because of an inability to pay. She issued a clear warning to principals and teachers that sending learners home over unpaid contributions is not permitted, stressing that education remains a right for every child.

The education director also addressed parents whose children have not yet secured placement at schools in Rundu. She urged them to ensure their children’s names are recorded on official school waiting lists, assuring parents that the regional education directorate will assist with placement where possible.

Shilima further encouraged parents to register learners early, highlighting that timely registration can help schools plan better and reduce challenges linked to overcrowding, long travel distances, and last-minute placement difficulties.

She said cooperation between parents, school boards, and education authorities is essential to managing enrolment pressures while safeguarding learners’ access to education.

Shilima reiterated that while community support for schools is valuable, it must never result in practices that disadvantage learners or compromise their right to attend school. The directorate said monitoring of schools will continue across regions.