Pontianus Musore — Education Director for Kavango West region, overseeing education policy and student welfare issues including dropouts, special needs education, and exam performance.
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May 2026
The Namibian
Pontianus Musoresaidpoverty, weak parental involvement, and gaps in reproductive health knowledge are pushing learners out of school
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“"We are dealing with real pressures at home and in classrooms. Poverty, weak parental involvement, and gaps in reproductive health knowledge are pushing learners out of school," Musore said.”
Education Director Pontianus Musoresaid child-headed households are caused bypoverty and unemployment
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“Education Director in the Kavango West region, Pontianus Musore said child-headed households in his region are amongst others caused by poverty and unemployment.”
Education director Pontianus Musorerevealed54,127 learners registered for 2026 academic year
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“The education directorate in Kavango West has registered 54 127 learners for the 2026 academic year, an increase of 2 123 compared to the 52 004 recorded in 2025, education director, Pontianus Musore has revealed.”
Musorecited as pressing concerninfrastructure constraints, particularly lack of hostels and classrooms
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“While the figures signal sustained demand for public schooling in the region, Musore cautioned that infrastructure constraints remain a pressing concern, particularly at schools accommodating learners from remote villages.”
Regional education director Pontianus Musoreattributed the region's top AS-level performance toconsistency, teacher commitment and strong focus on teaching and learning
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“Kavango West Region has once again emerged as the top-performing region in the country in the 2025 Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level results, a success regional education director Pontianus Musore attributed to consistency, teacher commitment and a strong focus on teaching and learning despite persistent challenges.”
Musoresaid the region's achievement wasproduct of collective effort from teachers, learners, school management teams and communities
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“Musore said the region's achievement was the product of collective effort from teachers, learners, school management teams and communities who implemented and adhered to internal education policies.”
The Kavango West education directorate has recorded four child marriage cases over the past two years, including a 2024 attempt by a mother to remove a girl from school to marry an older man. Education director Pontianus Musore said schools are regularly sensitised on child marriage and encouraged to report cases to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, though some cases go unreported due to cultural practices and poverty.
The Kavango West education directorate has recorded four child marriage cases over the past two years, including a 2024 attempt by a mother to remove a girl from school to marry an older man. Education director Pontianus Musore said schools are regularly sensitised on child marriage and encouraged to report cases to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, though some cases go unreported due to cultural practices and poverty.
First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah addressed boys in Kavango West, urging them not to abandon education despite peer pressure, embarrassment and financial hardship. Education director Pontianus Musore reported that 650 pupils dropped out of school during the first semester this year, with boys making up the majority, citing economic hardship, child-headed households, poor parental involvement, limited supervision and limited hostel facilities as factors.
A total of 650 pupils in Kavango West dropped out of school during the first semester of the academic year, comprising 342 boys and 308 girls. The education director attributed dropouts to economic hardships, with boys leaving to engage in temporary work, and cited contributing factors including child-headed households, limited hostel facilities, long distances to schools, and poor parental involvement.
Kavango West has made progress implementing inclusive education but remains one of the least-served regions for learners with special educational needs, relying on one inclusive school and one resource unit to serve 17 learners with intellectual impairments and 164 with learning difficulties, according to the Education Director.
Kavango West has progressed in implementing inclusive education but remains one of the country's least-served regions for learners with special educational needs, relying on one inclusive school and one resource unit to serve 17 learners with intellectual impairments and 164 with learning difficulties, according to the region's education director.
Kavango West recorded an increase in enrolment of pupils with special educational needs to 181 this year from 107 in 2025, with two schools operating specialised support units despite resource constraints and space limitations.
Namibian girls have recently outperformed boys in Senior Secondary Certificate exams and increasingly dominate tertiary institutions and graduation figures, while teachers report boys struggle with discipline, concentration, substance abuse, absenteeism and motivation. In Kavango West alone, boys accounted for 785 dropouts compared to 675 girls, reflecting a broader trend driven by challenges including unemployment, poverty and alcohol abuse.
Kavango West's education director reports that 1,460 learners dropped out of school and 332 girls became pregnant in 2025, nearly double the 2024 figures. He calls for coordinated action among schools, families, communities, and health services to address poverty, weak parental involvement, and gaps in reproductive health knowledge.
Leevi Hakusembe Senior Secondary School in Kavango West has prohibited pupils from bringing food to the hostel, citing waste reduction and fairness concerns. The principal says the rule encourages use of the school dining hall, though parents claim their children are going hungry.
Ncamagoro Combined School in Kavango West region faces persistent challenges with poor attendance and learner indiscipline, driven largely by the growing number of child-headed households. The principal attributes absences to factors including children searching for food, long daily walks of 10–15 kilometres, hunger, and lack of parental guidance, with 15 teenage pregnancies recorded last year alone.
Ncamagoro Combined School in Kavango West struggles with poor attendance and discipline, with child-headed households, hunger, long walking distances, and teenage pregnancies creating major barriers to education. The region's education director attributes child-headed households to poverty and unemployment, noting that the government has responded with social grants, food assistance, and support programmes.
The Kavango West education directorate registered 54,127 learners for the 2026 academic year, up 2,123 from 2025, with secondary school enrolment rising by 960. The director cautioned that infrastructure constraints—particularly shortages of hostels and classrooms—remain a pressing concern for schools serving remote villages.
Kavango West Region has emerged as the top-performing region in 2025 Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level results, an achievement regional education director Pontianus Musore attributed to consistency, teacher commitment, and a strong focus on teaching and learning despite operating under difficult infrastructural and resource constraints. The region prioritises maximising teaching time, monitoring learner progress, and analysing performance data to identify and address weaknesses early.
The Namibian National Teachers Union's Kavango West branch has commended the region's consistent top-three national ranking in 2025 secondary examinations, crediting the education director, teaching staff, and reduced workplace conflicts for the achievement.