Matron ‘whips’ learners at GT hostel

KENYA KAMBOWE

A grade 12 learner at Gabriel Taapopi Secondary School wants one of the hostel matrons to face disciplinary action after she allegedly hit learners with a plastic pipe on Friday morning.

The learner who spoke to Namibian Sun said the incident happened in the early morning hours when the matron locked the entrance of the hostel block and started beating the learners for being in the block at that time.

Talking in the presence of her guardian, the learner said she did not understand why the matron would beat them in order for them to leave the block.

“She was not even aiming where she was hitting us, as long as she hit you on your body that’s what happened,” the learner claimed.

“I want the school to take this matter seriously because our parents did not send us to school to be whipped,” the learner added.

School principal Sakaria Eelu confirmed the incident, saying that he was at the school when the incident happened and that he took it up on the same day.

Eelu said the matron explained to him that she did it because the learners did not want to follow her instructions.

“The matron told me that after telling the learners to move out of the rooms in order for the cleaners to come in and clean the rooms, some learners did not comply with the instruction and because she was carrying a pipe, she used it,” he said.

“There was no sign that anyone was whipped apart from those who fell down because of running around to avoid being beaten,” he added.

Allegations were also made that the matron allegedly slapped one of the cleaners in the presence of the learners on the same day. Eelu said he was informed of that incident but both the matron and the cleaner denied it when he asked them about it.

The matron could not be reached for comment yesterday.