Staff Reporter
PARENTS in Windhoek and Okahandja have expressed frustration over overcrowding and limited spaces at public schools as applications for pre-primary and Grade 1 admissions get underway, with some parents reportedly sleeping outside school premises for days in an effort to secure places for their children.
At schools in Windhoek, particularly in the Havana informal settlement, parents have been queuing since last week in hopes of obtaining application forms for pre-primary and Grade 1 placements. The rush has reportedly led to incidents of pushing and shoving among applicants, prompting police intervention to restore order.
Parents have also criticised the admission process, arguing that measures introduced to manage the large number of applicants have instead created confusion and perceptions of unfairness.
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Similar concerns were raised in Okahandja, where community activist Paulus Haindere visited Okahandja Primary School and voiced concerns over the limited number of application spaces available.
According to Haindere, some parents began queuing at the school a day before applications opened, with several reportedly spending the night on the school grounds in an attempt to secure a place in the queue.
He claimed that school management informed parents that only 30 Grade 1 application spaces and 74 Grade 0 application spaces were available, despite hundreds of parents reportedly seeking admission for their children.
“If you look at the number of people who came here, there are more than 300 parents. Government must come in and provide additional classrooms because the demand is clearly much higher than the available space,” Haindere said.
He argued that Okahandja’s growing population requires greater investment in educational infrastructure, saying the current capacity is insufficient to accommodate the increasing number of school-age children.
Haindere also raised concerns about waiting lists, alleging that some parents who had previously been placed on waiting lists were ultimately not offered spaces, while other applicants were accommodated instead.
He further called on the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture to expand facilities at public schools to ensure that children are not denied access to education due to limited classroom space.
The activist criticised the response from education officials, saying an inspector who visited the school failed to adequately address parents’ concerns.
The rush for school placements comes as parents across several towns seek admission for the 2027 academic year, with many calling for additional classrooms and improved admission systems to accommodate growing demand.
