![Front 3](https://investigations.namibian.com.na/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Front-3-1068x641.jpg)
By Sonja Smith | 7 May 2021
SAN pupils in the Omaheke region seem to be dropping out of primary and secondary schools at an alarming rate.
The Namibian investigated the reasons for this trend.
The Wennie du Plessis Secondary School, Project Combined School, Gqaina and Hippo primary schools were visited, which cater to San pupils. Carien van Zyl started working as a teacher in 1994 at Gqaina Primary School in the Omaheke region, and became the school’s principal in 2008.
She says 359 pupils are currently enrolled at the school, of whom 168 are San pupils. Gqaina is located on Du Plessis Farm in the Okurukambe constituency some 85 km north-west of Gobabis.
Van Zyl says the girls at the school outperform the boys, because they seem to be more dedicated.
When the school started in 1982, only about 70 San pupils were enrolled.
“As the years progressed, more and more kids were brought to school,” she says.
“There are several challenges San pupils face at home. Due to work-related matters, some of the pupils drop out of school.
“For example: A parent would work at a particular farm and then relocate to another place, or simply leave a job, which has a great impact on the pupils,” she says. Not all parents are financially able to provide in their children’s basic needs.
The exposure to alcohol and the type of friends they associate with also contribute to dropping out of school, Van Zyl says.
Some of the San pupils have a very close family bond, not wanting to be separated from their loved ones and would opt to stay home, she says.
Van Zyl says a lack of parental involvement and communication barriers between parents and schools also contribute to the dropout rate. Lastly, some pupils drop out of school due to their age.
‘LACK OF INTEREST’
Hippo Primary School, a semi-private school with a hostel outside Gobabis, was built for San pupils about 26 years ago. School principal Zirk Vermeulen says the school accommodates children of all ethnic groups. With regards to dropout rates, he says parents perceive education differently.
![](https://investigations.namibian.com.na/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/San2-300x200.jpeg)
“There were bright San pupils at the school 10 years ago, who were given bursaries by the school to continue with secondary school, but they never completed school and dropped out. The reasons are only known to them, or maybe there was just a lack of interest,” Vermeulen says. Only a few parents are involved in their children’s education, he says.
He says San pupils should have role models to look up to for encouragement. Some years ago, the school was among the best-performing schools in the country in English and mathematics.
APPEARANCES NOT IMPORTANT
The Project Combined School at Gobabis caters for pupils from grades 1 to 10. Principal Tezee Katjiuanjo says the school caters to pupils from different backgrounds, including the most vulnerable. He says the school does not focus on the appearance of the pupils, but on their schoolwork.
“Our school is a project that was established to herd low-income, non-working, marginalised, street-roaming children and those of absent parents,” Katjiuanjo says.
The school also caters to those living with physical and sensory impairment.
“As staff we were well prepared, mentally and psychologically, and consequently hit the ground running,” he says.
The school has dealt with the bullying of San pupils and ran a successful awareness campaign against this, he says.
Katjiuanjo says 1 757 children are enrolled at the school, of which 170 are San pupils – 90 girls and 80 boys.
“At the start of 2020 we ran a survey to look at the domestic situation of those kids, and covered around 200 households that would give us a backbone and database to arrange our operations in support of those kids, including some of them living without parents and who are confined to work on the farms,” Katjiuanjo says.
The school started with some 45 San pupils,which has grown to 170.
“We are happy with their progress at academic and sport level, and their interests are the mainstay of our life-skills and child-welfare office at school,” he says.
Katjiuanjo says through this office, pupils’ well-being and performance are monitored and they receive counselling.
“San children are by nature very self-contained and reserved, and teachers are always sensitised to be patient and act right when handling them,” Katjiuanjo says. Despite their challenges, the school has seen success with San pupils, he says. He says a hostel at the school would help to curb the dropout rate, which is a crisis.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Magreth Rukira, principal of Wennie du Plessis Secondary School at Gobabis, says most of the pupils at the school, including San pupils, do not drop out when they reach the secondary stage of their education. The primary school dropout rate is much higher, she says.
Rukira says despite challenges, most pupils make an effort to attend school – even if they arrive late.
“We hardly encounter school dropouts, but there are reasons for dropping out, such as teenage pregnancies and financial problems. A total of 24 San pupils are enrolled at the school … and none have dropped out in the last academic year,” she says. The school, however, takes the pupils back after they have dropped out, and allows them to write examinations while pregnant, Rukira says.
The San is the fourth-largest language group (7%) in the Omaheke region, consisting of three main groups: the Ju|’hoansi, the Naro and the! Xoon.
CHALLENGES NOT UNIQUE
Omaheke chief education officer for programmes and quality assurance, Constance Wantenaar, said there is only one teacher for the San home language at Gqaina Primary School. She said all schools in Omaheke accommodate San pupils, but most are enrolled at the Gqaina and Chief Sofia Jacobs primary schools.
She added that the challenges being experienced are not unique to San pupils.
Peer pressure, parental decisions to rather keep their children at home to take care of their younger siblings, learning difficulties and pregnancies were among these challenges, Wantenaar said.
A lack of stationery was also an issue, as some parents could not afford to by these for their kids.
– This story was produced with funding from the Google Grant
pin up apk yukle: pin-up oyunu – pin up azerbaycan
pin-up online casino https://azerbaijancuisine.com/# pin up 306
pin up kazino
https://northern-doctors.org/# mexico drug stores pharmacies
medicine in mexico pharmacies: mexican northern doctors – mexico drug stores pharmacies
buying prescription drugs in mexico: northern doctors pharmacy – п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
http://northern-doctors.org/# mexico drug stores pharmacies
п»їbest mexican online pharmacies mexican mail order pharmacies mexican mail order pharmacies
mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs: mexican northern doctors – mexican pharmacy
https://northern-doctors.org/# reputable mexican pharmacies online
buying prescription drugs in mexico: mexican northern doctors – pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa
https://northern-doctors.org/# buying prescription drugs in mexico online
medication from mexico pharmacy: northern doctors – mexican pharmacy
mexican pharmaceuticals online Mexico pharmacy that ship to usa mexican rx online
https://northern-doctors.org/# purple pharmacy mexico price list
mexican pharmacy: mexican pharmacy – medicine in mexico pharmacies
http://northern-doctors.org/# mexican rx online
mexico drug stores pharmacies: Mexico pharmacy that ship to usa – mexico drug stores pharmacies
medicine in mexico pharmacies: mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs – mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
reputable mexican pharmacies online northern doctors buying from online mexican pharmacy
medication from mexico pharmacy: mexican pharmaceuticals online – mexican mail order pharmacies
http://northern-doctors.org/# buying from online mexican pharmacy
mexican pharmacy: Mexico pharmacy that ship to usa – mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
https://northern-doctors.org/# mexican pharmacy
mexico pharmacies prescription drugs: mexican pharmacy northern doctors – medication from mexico pharmacy
buying prescription drugs in mexico: mexican pharmacy online – mexico pharmacy
medicine in mexico pharmacies mexican pharmacy buying prescription drugs in mexico online
mexican pharmacy: mexican pharmacy – buying from online mexican pharmacy
https://northern-doctors.org/# mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa
medication from mexico pharmacy: mexican pharmacy – reputable mexican pharmacies online
http://northern-doctors.org/# medicine in mexico pharmacies
п»їbest mexican online pharmacies: mexican pharmacy – reputable mexican pharmacies online
mexico pharmacies prescription drugs northern doctors pharmacy п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
mexican rx online: п»їbest mexican online pharmacies – mexican mail order pharmacies
https://northern-doctors.org/# buying prescription drugs in mexico
medicine in mexico pharmacies: mexican northern doctors – mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa
https://northern-doctors.org/# mexican mail order pharmacies
mexican mail order pharmacies: Mexico pharmacy that ship to usa – mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa
mexican rx online: mexican pharmacy northern doctors – mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
https://northern-doctors.org/# pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa
mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs: Mexico pharmacy that ship to usa – mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs
medicine in mexico pharmacies mexican pharmacy online mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
http://northern-doctors.org/# medication from mexico pharmacy
medicine in mexico pharmacies: mexican northern doctors – pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa
http://northern-doctors.org/# mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
mexico drug stores pharmacies: northern doctors – п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
mexico drug stores pharmacies: Mexico pharmacy that ship to usa – mexican drugstore online
mexico pharmacies prescription drugs: mexican pharmacy online – reputable mexican pharmacies online
https://northern-doctors.org/# buying prescription drugs in mexico online
mexican pharmacy: mexican pharmacy online – medicine in mexico pharmacies
buying prescription drugs in mexico mexican pharmacy reputable mexican pharmacies online
buying prescription drugs in mexico: mexican pharmacy – mexican rx online
https://northern-doctors.org/# buying from online mexican pharmacy
mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa: mexican pharmacy online – medication from mexico pharmacy
reputable mexican pharmacies online: mexican rx online – purple pharmacy mexico price list
http://northern-doctors.org/# mexico drug stores pharmacies
buying prescription drugs in mexico online: mexican pharmacy – mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa
https://northern-doctors.org/# purple pharmacy mexico price list
reputable mexican pharmacies online: mexican pharmacy northern doctors – mexico pharmacy
medication from mexico pharmacy mexican pharmacy online mexican drugstore online
mexico pharmacies prescription drugs: mexican northern doctors – mexico drug stores pharmacies
http://northern-doctors.org/# pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa
buying from online mexican pharmacy cmq pharma mexican pharmacy mexican rx online
https://cmqpharma.com/# medication from mexico pharmacy
medicine in mexico pharmacies
mexico pharmacies prescription drugs mexican pharmacy online mexican mail order pharmacies
mexican drugstore online cmqpharma.com buying from online mexican pharmacy
reputable mexican pharmacies online cmqpharma.com mexican pharmacy
buying from online mexican pharmacy
https://cmqpharma.com/# medicine in mexico pharmacies
medication from mexico pharmacy
mexico pharmacy mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
mexico drug stores pharmacies: cmq pharma mexican pharmacy – mexican pharmacy
mexico drug stores pharmacies mexican pharmacy medicine in mexico pharmacies
mexican rx online mexican pharmacy mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs
п»їbest mexican online pharmacies cmq pharma mexican pharmacy mexican pharmaceuticals online
purple pharmacy mexico price list online mexican pharmacy mexico pharmacy
medication from mexico pharmacy reputable mexican pharmacies online mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
https://cmqpharma.online/# buying prescription drugs in mexico online
mexico drug stores pharmacies
mexican pharmacy: purple pharmacy mexico price list – mexican drugstore online
mexican pharmaceuticals online
http://cmqpharma.com/# mexican mail order pharmacies
mexican pharmaceuticals online
mexican pharmaceuticals online: online mexican pharmacy – mexico drug stores pharmacies
buying prescription drugs in mexico online: mexican drugstore online – mexican mail order pharmacies
buying prescription drugs in mexico online: medication from mexico pharmacy – mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa
is canadian pharmacy legit canada rx pharmacy onlinecanadianpharmacy 24
buy canadian drugs: legal canadian pharmacy online – canadian pharmacy antibiotics
http://indiapharmast.com/# Online medicine home delivery
mexico drug stores pharmacies buying prescription drugs in mexico purple pharmacy mexico price list
world pharmacy india: mail order pharmacy india – indianpharmacy com
world pharmacy india: best online pharmacy india – india pharmacy mail order
canadian online drugs: canadian neighbor pharmacy – canadian pharmacy meds
best online pharmacies in mexico mexico pharmacies prescription drugs mexican rx online
mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs: pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa – buying prescription drugs in mexico
online canadian pharmacy reviews: best mail order pharmacy canada – canadian drug pharmacy
п»їbest mexican online pharmacies mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs buying prescription drugs in mexico online
indianpharmacy com: india online pharmacy – top 10 online pharmacy in india
canadian pharmacy cheap: safe canadian pharmacy – canadian pharmacy 365
https://canadapharmast.com/# canadian pharmacy prices
online shopping pharmacy india: best india pharmacy – online pharmacy india
buying drugs from canada: medication canadian pharmacy – canadian pharmacy 24
canadian pharmacies online legit canadian pharmacy precription drugs from canada
http://foruspharma.com/# mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
ordering drugs from canada: canadian drugs – pharmacy wholesalers canada
reliable canadian pharmacy: canadian world pharmacy – canadian pharmacy online store
pharmacy website india Online medicine home delivery indian pharmacy paypal
canadian pharmacy 365: reputable canadian online pharmacies – canadian pharmacy meds reviews
thecanadianpharmacy: canadian mail order pharmacy – escrow pharmacy canada
http://indiapharmast.com/# india online pharmacy
purple pharmacy mexico price list: buying prescription drugs in mexico – buying from online mexican pharmacy
Online medicine home delivery: india pharmacy mail order – top 10 pharmacies in india
online pharmacy india india online pharmacy buy prescription drugs from india
onlinecanadianpharmacy 24: my canadian pharmacy review – pharmacy com canada
https://foruspharma.com/# medicine in mexico pharmacies
precription drugs from canada: canadian pharmacy online – legitimate canadian pharmacy online
indian pharmacy: mail order pharmacy india – best india pharmacy
https://ciprodelivery.pro/# ciprofloxacin mail online
https://doxycyclinedelivery.pro/# cheap doxycycline tablets
paxlovid pharmacy: paxlovid cost without insurance – paxlovid pill
can i purchase cheap clomid no prescription: can you get clomid without a prescription – how to get cheap clomid without a prescription
https://amoxildelivery.pro/# cost of amoxicillin prescription
http://amoxildelivery.pro/# where can i buy amoxicillin without prec
https://doxycyclinedelivery.pro/# doxycycline 50mg tab
paxlovid price: paxlovid buy – buy paxlovid online
https://doxycyclinedelivery.pro/# generic doxycycline
cipro ciprofloxacin: buy cipro online canada – ciprofloxacin over the counter
http://paxloviddelivery.pro/# paxlovid pharmacy
https://clomiddelivery.pro/# where can i buy clomid prices
buy paxlovid online: Paxlovid over the counter – Paxlovid buy online
http://clomiddelivery.pro/# cost of clomid
doxycycline hyc 100 mg: can you buy doxycycline over the counter in india – doxycycline price in india
http://doxycyclinedelivery.pro/# buy doxycycline 100mg online
where buy clomid no prescription: can i order generic clomid price – how can i get clomid price
http://paxloviddelivery.pro/# paxlovid price
cipro for sale: ciprofloxacin order online – purchase cipro
http://clomiddelivery.pro/# how to buy cheap clomid tablets
https://doxycyclinedelivery.pro/# doxycycline 100mg capsules uk
https://amoxildelivery.pro/# amoxicillin over the counter in canada
buy ciprofloxacin over the counter: ciprofloxacin – ciprofloxacin order online
http://paxloviddelivery.pro/# paxlovid buy
cipro online no prescription in the usa: ciprofloxacin generic – purchase cipro
http://paxloviddelivery.pro/# paxlovid pharmacy
http://paxloviddelivery.pro/# paxlovid pharmacy
amoxicillin 875 mg tablet: amoxicillin 500mg price in canada – amoxicillin without prescription
price of doxycycline: doxycycline 10mg price – cost of doxycycline
amoxicillin cost australia: amoxicillin online pharmacy – amoxicillin 875 125 mg tab
cipro: ciprofloxacin – buy cipro online canada