Etuhole Amutenja

Classes at Kaisosi Combined School in Rundu have been suspended earlier than usual for the past two weeks due to non-functional toilets, forcing hundreds of learners to relieve themselves in the nearby bush. 
Hamunyera Julius Hambyuka Kavango East governor said he is aware of the issue.
“ I was  only briefed by officials on Wednesday on this issues . I intend to call the ministry of education just to find out what is happening and what they are doing about it,” he said.

An internal source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the sanitation problem has persisted for more than a year without a permanent solution. “It has  been like this for a year now. Children have to use the bush. The ministry has been saying they will fix the toilets since last year, but nothing has been done to date. We are forced to end classes earlier because, after break, the children tend to have an urge to use the toilet more. This is only natural because they just had their break,” the source said.

 
The same source added that learners have been released at 12h30 daily since the toilets became completely unusable two weeks ago.  “The kids are still knocking off at 12h30 every day, because the teachers’ toilets can not be used for number two,  only for peeing. The regional council is responsible for emptying the septic tank, and they do, but they just take long,” the source explained.

The crisis at Kaisosi Combined School is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, in January, two other schools in Rundu, Jafet Haiyambo Senior Primary School and Hompa Sofia Mundjebwe Kanyetu Junior Primary School,  also suspended classes due to dysfunctional ablution facilities.

Those schools, with a combined enrolment of over 3 100 learners, had toilets that could not flush due to low water pressure and a constantly overflowing septic tank. At the time, staff said learners were forced to relieve themselves in corners around the school grounds, as no bushes were available in the surrounding residential area.

Health experts have repeatedly warned that poor sanitation in schools exposes learners to preventable diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, and other infections. The situation also compromises learners’ dignity, particularly for girls.
At Kaisosi Combined School, learners and staff alike now contend with shortened teaching hours, which is expected to impact academic performance. 

“We are losing valuable teaching and learning time every day. This has been going on for too long, and no real solution has been given,” the source stressed.
Parents expressed frustration at the constant disruptions. A mother whose two children attend the school said she worries about her children’s health.

“We send our kids to school to learn, not to suffer in the bush because there are no toilets. It is embarrassing and dangerous,” she said. Efforts to obtain comment from the Kavango East Regional Council and ministry of education  were not successful by the time of publication. 

Kavango East education director Christine Shilima referred questions to control officer Nikolaus Matunga, but he had not responded by the time of publication.

Deputy minister of education Dino Balloti referred the questions to the ministry’s spokesperson.