Tutaleni High School in Kuisebmond has received a major boost to its science programme following the handover of two refurbished laboratories valued at about N$500 000 by Langer Heinrich Uranium (LHU).
The upgraded facilities were officially handed over on Thursday by LHU Managing Director Armandt Visagie, marking an important step towards strengthening practical science education at the Walvis Bay school. For Tutaleni’s 2026 Advanced Subsidiary (AS) learners, the investment comes at a particularly significant time as they prepare to write the school’s first practical science examination in a fully equipped laboratory.
Principal Vincent Gideon said the refurbished laboratories would allow learners to move beyond textbook theory and gain direct experience through experiments, observation, measurement and data analysis. “This is an important milestone for them and for our school,” Gideon said. He said practical science gives learners an opportunity to see scientific reactions, test hypotheses, collect and analyse results and correctly handle laboratory equipment.
According to Gideon, the facilities will also help develop critical skills including accuracy, teamwork, critical thinking, curiosity and confidence, while creating a more suitable environment for learners to prepare for examinations and future studies. He urged teachers to make full use of the laboratories and appealed to learners to take responsibility for the equipment so that future generations could benefit from the investment. Visagie said the project forms part of LHU’s community initiatives and reflects the importance of science to Namibia’s future and to the mining industry’s own operations.
Within laboratories such as these, curiosity is encouraged, ideas are tested, problems are solved,” he said. He encouraged learners to use the facilities, ask questions and embrace experimentation as part of the learning process. Visagie also acknowledged LHU laboratory superintendent Wenzel Gaeseb for his role in preparing the laboratories. Walvis Bay Deputy Mayor Miina Hangula highlighted the broader importance of the investment, saying LHU had brought laboratory technicians on board to conduct safety checks and had supplied safety equipment for the facilities. “To the learners of Tutaleni High School, these laboratories belong to you,” Hangula said. “Every beaker, every workbench that you are going to work on, every safety measure that has been put in place was invested in because someone believed in what you are capable of becoming.”
Hangula urged learners not to be afraid of making mistakes, stressing that failure can form part of the scientific learning process. “Through science, when you fail, you learn, and you make it right again,” she said. She thanked LHU and its parent company, Paladin Energy, for investing in the school and called on other businesses to follow suit. “You did not just fund a renovation; you invested in human capital, in safety, in the future of this town,” Hangula said. She said stronger cooperation between schools, businesses and local government could create greater opportunities for learners across the community.
With the new laboratories now operational, Tutaleni learners have more than renovated classrooms — they have a practical platform to turn scientific theory into real-world knowledge and potentially lay the foundation for careers in science, technology and industry.
By Rudi Bowe
