Family demands N$100 000 after son (10) allegedly called 'stupid' by teacher

A Rehoboth family is seeking N$100 000 in damages from the education ministry after their 10-year-old son was allegedly verbally insulted and physically assaulted by a teacher at Rehoboth Primary School.

Lawyers representing the learner have issued a formal letter of demand to the ministry and the school’s principal, seeking compensation for alleged emotional and psychological harm. The family is also calling for a public apology from the implicated teacher and immediate intervention by the ministry.

According to a letter from Sisa Namandje & Co, the incident occurred on 18 February. The teacher is accused of calling the learner “stupid” in front of classmates, throwing a book at him and pushing him in the stomach with a whip.

The incident reportedly left the learner distressed and humiliated.

The matter escalated when the distressed child reportedly fled the school premises without structured support and travelled home alone by taxi.

The family argues that this raises serious concerns about the school’s duty of care.

Allegations of prior incidents

In an interview with Namibian Sun on Friday, the learner’s father claimed previous incidents were handled internally without his involvement.

He alleged that in 2025 his son was chased with a knife by another learner and sustained a black eye in a separate altercation.

“Decisions were taken without me, yet I am the parent. That is simply not fair,” he said, adding that he believes insufficient action was taken despite the matters being reported.

“What is most heartbreaking is that my child now goes to school in fear. Every morning, he hopes that his teacher will not say or do something hurtful to him. The excitement and joy he once had for learning have disappeared,” the father added.

Other parents have allegedly raised concerns about the same teacher, claiming a pattern of inappropriate conduct. One parent alleged another young learner was previously subjected to body-shaming.

The family’s legal representatives argue that the alleged conduct violates the learner’s constitutional rights to dignity under Article 8 and to fair administrative action under Article 18.

The education ministry has been given seven days to respond. The family says it will pursue civil litigation if no satisfactory action is taken.

Abuse alleged at Ongwediva school

The Rehoboth incident comes just a week after parents of a Grade 5 learner at Charles Anderson Primary School in Ongwediva opened a police case against a male teacher who allegedly assaulted their son after he reportedly referred to his female teacher as being “lungus”, loosely translated as “talkative”.

The incident allegedly unfolded after classmates informed the female teacher about the remark. The educator allegedly escorted the boy to a male colleague, who is accused of physically assaulting him. The learner’s parents say they took him to hospital after school, where he received medical treatment.

The parents confirmed that they first raised the matter with the school principal, who allegedly described it as “an unfortunate event”. Dissatisfied with the response, they subsequently decided to file a formal complaint with the police.

The two incidents have reignited national debate over discipline, corporal punishment and acceptable conduct in Namibian schools.

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