Learners don maize sacks for misbehaving
Learners don maize sacks for misbehaving

Learners don maize sacks for misbehaving

Cindy Van Wyk
TUYEIMO HAIDULA



OSHAKATI

Learners at Omuthiyagwiipundi Combined School in Omuthiya are forced to wear maize sacks each time they misbehave at school, a punishment deemed fit by their teachers.

Parents and some community members raised the issue recently, accusing the teachers of abusing their children.

It is alleged that the learners are dressed in cut up maize sacks with the words “I am dangerous” and “I have a boyfriend” written in blue capital letters.

Others read: “I am too hyper and I have no manners”. The learners reportedly have to wear the sacks to class for the whole week to avoid committing whatever transgression again.

The parents argued that the victims of the alleged punishment have been left with the psychological trauma of having to wear these words around and feel humiliated.

Shortly after independence, the Namibian Supreme Court found that the use of corporal punishment in schools violates the constitutional right to dignity of learners.

The Education Act of 2001 also forbids the use of corporal punishment in state or private schools. The debate has resurfaced over the years, with some teachers and parents wanting the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools.

However, education executive director Sanet Steenkamp has reiterated that corporal punishment is a subject of controversy and the ministry will never change its stance on it.

Humiliation

Oshikoto education director Aletta Eises condemned the practice, saying the ministry is moving away from the humiliation of learners, instead focusing on teaching children in a culture of care.

Eises on Thursday said said she only learnt about the children’s form of punishment through social media.

She said the inspector of education of the circuit in which the school falls attended to the matter and the principal submitted a report, which her office received on Wednesday.

“The directorate condemns this type of behaviour from any of our staff members. This is humiliating the children and can have far-reaching consequences regarding the mental health of the said learner.

“We requested documentary proof of the support the learners receive to change their behaviour,” she said.

Eises added that they also requested counselling reports from the school and are still waiting.

Safe discipline

She said the ministry has guiding documents for disciplinary actions schools should implement.

“We have discipline within a safe school framework,” she said.

She added that stakeholders and parents should approach the principal’s office or consult the school board with such issues, as “social media will just further expose the child and not resolve the challenge”.

Eises further said the ministry has procedures in place to deal with misconduct, and the matter will be addressed as per those procedures.

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.97 | EUR to NAD 20.51 | CNY to NAD 2.63 | USD to NAD 19.04 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.13 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.3 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 19.03 | USD to ZMW 24.97 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 73909.5 Up +0.41% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1516.02 Down -0.13% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12981.98 Up +0.34% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 28224.37 Down -2.87% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - 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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 212.55/OZ UP +1.00% | Copper US$ 3.97/lb DOWN -0.0038 | Zinc US$ 2 439.40/T DOWN -0.7% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.21/BBP UP +0.95% | Platinum US$ 897.74/OZ UP +0.32%