(Namibia) Over 400 special needs students have no places; "too few such schools in the country"
- The end of childhood
- Jan 19
- 2 min read
Jan 18, 2026, The Namibian: Hundreds on waiting list as Namibia’s three special needs schools face major capacity crisis
More than 400 children with intellectual and physical disabilities have not been placed in special needs schools because there are too few such schools in the country.
Only three institutions are equipped to cater for these pupils – Eluwa Special School at Ongwediva, Dagbreek School for the Intellectually Impaired, and Môreson Special School for the Cognitively Impaired in Windhoek.
Môreson administration officer Kamuronga Immanuel says there are more than 400 pupils on its waiting list.
The school can accommodate only 214 pupils, with a ratio of one teacher to eight children.
“It’s not like a mainstream school, which might have 25 pupils per teacher,” he says.
“The ministry should open at least one school in each region across the country to cater for these pupils. Add more classes to existing schools so pupils do not have to travel to Windhoek for school,” he says.
He says the issue places a burden on educators, communities and schools alike as they cannot cater to all pupils with special needs.
Môreson school principal Kaluvi Am says her school has expanded the teacher-pupil ratio to 12 pupils per teacher and voices concern over pupils’ placement at schools, given the lack of available facilities.
“It is not that we are not equipped with teachers or resources, it is just due to our [limited] capacity, “ she says. . . .
If the school had more classrooms, it would be able to accommodate more pupils, he says.
“We have space available for new classrooms. Classrooms are a problem, and we also need more special schools in Namibia,” he says.
Du Plessis says the school has sent the ministry a request for more classrooms to be built.
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